FL Sees 9K New Cases, DeSantis Won’t Budge On Masks

Jacksonville’s NBC News affiliate reports:

 More than 9,300 new coronavirus cases were reported Sunday in Florida, accompanied by an additional 78 deaths, according to data released by the state Department of Health.

As of Sunday, the state had 5,972 total deaths of residents and visitors and 423,855 coronavirus cases, an additional 9,344 cases from the previous day, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The number of new cases was lower than other days last week, but caseloads released on Sundays tend to be smaller because of the lack of workers entering data or in labs testing samples.

Orlando’s ABC News affiliate reports:

Gov. Ron DeSantis said again that he will not issue a mask mandate and that schools must reopen in August despite the fact that the state hit a record number of single-day deaths on Thursday. DeSantis held a news conference at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne.

“We’re not going to restrict the businesses,” he said regarding a mask mandate. “I think if you look at the spread, it’s not really deriving from businesses as much as it’s deriving from home outbreaks and then family and friends. And that’s just the reality.”