FL Breaks Deaths Record For Fourth Straight Day

The Orlando Weekly reports:

The Florida Department of Health reported 257 new COVID-19 deaths in Florida on Friday, marking the fourth consecutive day the state has surpassed its own daily death record.

The state’s total amount of lives lost to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic in March now nears 7,000, with 6,843 Florida resident deaths and 123 non-resident deaths. July alone saw 3,409 COVID-19 related deaths recorded – nearly 50 percent of the state’s total COVID-19 deaths.

Florida’s weekly average positivity rate is now 19.42 percent, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University. The World Health Organization, along with disease experts, recommend a 5 percent positivity rate or lower for 14 days in order for a state to consider reopening.

A 9 year old died from #Covid_19 yesterday in Florida. A 5 year old died from Covid-19 in Dallas today. A major component in the low death rate we saw in children had to do with our policy to limit children exposure, by closing schools.

— Dr. Theresa Chapple (@Theresa_Chapple) July 25, 2020

Florida has set a new record for the number of COVID-19 deaths for the fourth day in a row.

“What we’re seeing now is the result of the push to open the state,” a public health expert says.https://t.co/L6aaFA85nR

— NPR (@NPR) July 31, 2020