Tracking coronavirus: 216 new coronavirus deaths on Wednesday is Florida's highest daily increase
ORLANDO, Fla. - Below is a log of the day's events as it relates to the global coronavirus pandemic.
11:00 p.m. -- According to the Early Learning Coalition (ELCO) of Orange County, normally, 14,000 to 15,000 children attend VPK in Orange County each year. So far this year, only 9,700 have applied and only 700 parents have turned in their children’s certificates to attend. Read more about VPK options HERE.
10:45 p.m. -- Florida Representative Randy Fine is recovering from the coronavirus. After initially being asymptomatic, he now says the virus is really starting to hit him and that he feels "like garbage." See our interview with him HERE.
8:15 p.m. -- 14 junior residents, two senior residents, a fellow and an administrative employee with the University of Florida Health contracted COVID-19 after attending a private party, a report says. Read more HERE.
8:00 p.m. -- Governor Ron DeSantis has issued an executive order extending a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures in the state to September 1st. See the executive order HERE.
7:30 p.m. -- More than 150,000 people in the U.S. have died after contracting the novel coronavirus, according to the most recent data from Johns Hopkins University. Read more HERE.
7:00 p.m. -- Seminole County wants to help those struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They will soon open a portal for residents to apply for $5,000 and businesses for $15,000. Read more about how to apply HERE.
6:00 p.m. -- All state-supported COVID-19 testing sites will temporarily close starting Thursday because of the approaching potential tropical storm. See when they are expected to reopen HERE.
5:00 p.m. -- Hundreds of United Airlines employees at Orlando International Airport have been let go after devastating losses caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Read about why HERE.
5:00 p.m. -- A few items have actually been added to the Florida Department of Emergency Management's supply list and they are all pandemic related. See the full list HERE.
4:15 p.m. -- The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced on Wednesday that they will provide thousands of no-cost COVID-19 PCR tests in Orlando. Find out how to schedule an appointment for one HERE.
4:00 p.m. -- People over six feet tall are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with the coronavirus, the results of a new survey reveal. See what could contribute to this HERE.
12:30 p.m. -- Gov. Ron DeSantis held a coronavirus roundtable in Clearwater about the reopeoning of schools.
10:39 a.m. -- The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday reported another 216 coronavirus deaths, making it a record single-day spike in deaths. The total is now at 6,333. The state also added another 9,446 cases of coronavirus, bringing the total in Florida to 451,423.
9:40 a.m. -- Republicans unveiled a package of bills aimed at helping American families weather the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, including plans for another round of direct payments to households. But not everyone would qualify. More HERE.
8:34 a.m. -- A bill called "Masks for All" was introduced Tuesday by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Bay Area Congressman Ro Khanna, which calls for providing free masks for everyone in the United States as a measure to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
7:57 a.m. -- Lake County Schools says that parents need to choose how their children will return to school in the fall by Wednesday, July 29th. See the options HERE.
6:15 a.m. -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he might extend the statewide moratorium on housing evictions that is set to expire on Saturday. He signaled the possibility of the extension during a roundtable discussion in Orlando about the coronavirus pandemic, saying officials will have “something on that soon.” The moratorium, which was implemented in April, allows people to avoid eviction from their homes amid the pandemic.
5:02 a.m. -- The Florida Department of Health on Tuesday reported 9,230 new cases of COVID-19 and 186 more deaths. The statewide total is now at 441,977 cases and the death toll is 6,117. Another update is due around 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
RELATED: Interactive map of COVID-19 cases across Florida
Phase two of Florida's reopening is ongoing. The following is in effect:
- Restaurants can now allow bar-top seating with appropriate social distancing.
- Bars and pubs were originally able to operate with 50 percent capacity indoors and full capacity outside as long as appropriate social distancing is followed. However, the state has put a temporary ban on liquor sales at bars as COVID-19 cases surge, forcing many bars to close.
- Retail stores can now operate at full capacity with responsible social distancing and sanitization protocols.
- Gyms can now operate at full capacity as well with appropriate social distancing and frequent sanitization.
- Entertainment businesses, like movie theaters, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys and arcades, can operate at 50 percent with appropriate social distancing and sanitization protocols.
- Personal services businesses, including but not limited to tattoo parlors, acupuncture establishments, tanning salons, and massage establishments, may operate with guidance from the Florida Department of Health.
- Pari-mutuel betting facilities can submit a request to reopen to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The request must include an endorsement from their county mayor or county administrator if there is no mayor.
Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach -- which are the counties that got hit the heaviest by coronavirus in Florida -- will remain in phase one for the time being. When ready, they can seek approval from their county mayor or county administrator to enter phase two.
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Coronavirus can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when an individual coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land on objects and surfaces. Others can then contract the virus by touching these objects or surfaces, then their eyes, nose or mouth.
As stated before, symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath. They may show in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure, the Florida Department of Health says. Most people recover from COVID-19 without special treatment, but the elderly and those with underlying medical problems are more likely to develop serious illness.
If you display coronavirus symptoms, you should contact a local health organization and make them aware of your condition prior to arrival while also following specific instructions or guidelines they may have.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 and let them know if you have been infected or believe that you may be. If you are infected, a medical professional or another authority will likely advise that you remain isolated while sick. This includes staying at home and not going into public places or large events.
Please visit the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage for information and guidance regarding COVID-19 in Florida.
For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-(866) 779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours a day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
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Globally, there have been over 16.8 million COVID-19 cases, resulting in over 662,000 deaths, according to John Hopkins University.
Below is an interactive John Hopkins University dashboard, showing a country-by-country breakdown of positive COVID-19 cases across the world.
MOBILE USERS: Click here to view the interactive John Hopkins University dashboard
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