COVID-19 spikes in Florida, testing encouraged before Thanksgiving

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - COVID-19 cases are spiking in Florida, as officials reported more than 10,100 new infections on Sunday. That is more than double the number of cases reported on Saturday and the highest single-day increase since late July.

Orange County is one of the Florida counties that saw a spike in cases over the weekend. They reported 746 new cases on Sunday. Then in Osceola County, new cases reported more than tripled from 65 on Saturday to 238 on Sunday. 

RELATED: Florida reports over 10,100 new COVID-19 cases, largest single-day increase since July

"I said at the beginning of the week, we would likely surpass 50,000 positive cases within Orange County this week, and we have," Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. There have been about 4,300 new COVID-19 cases in Orange County over the last two weeks. So far, more than 600 people in the county have died from the virus.

Mayor Demings is warning that people need to get tested, especially with Thanksgiving approaching, stating that "as a suggestion to those who will be gathering with family members, if you're gonna have family who lives in the area or going to have family come from outside the area, encourage your family members to get tested."

RELATED: U.S. cases hit 11M; latest million took 6 days

Drive-thru rapid testing continues to be offered at Barnett Park for free. The site is open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The state also offers free testing at its regional site at the Orange County Convention Center.

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