Tracking coronavirus: Florida cases jump by nearly 1,700; schools plan to reopen in the fall at full capacity
ORLANDO, Fla. - Below is a log of the day's events as it relates to the global coronavirus pandemic.
4:00 a.m. -- The latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health show that there have been 67,371 cases of coronavirus statewide, resulting in 2,801 deaths. That is an additional 1,371 cases and 36 deaths since Tuesday morning.
5:00 a.m. -- After being shut down for months, SeaWorld becomes the second major Central Florida theme park to reopen -- with new safety measures in place for guests. The park will also only be open five days a week. Details HERE.
7:45 a.m. -- More than 2 million individuals in the United States have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, according to the most recent data available from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
8:15 a.m. -- ALL children -- regardless of family income or where they live -- can get free meals this summer, the USDA announced Wednesday. Pick-up locations HERE.
9:00 a.m. -- About 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, evidence that many Americans are still losing their jobs even as the economy appears to be slowly recovering with more businesses partially reopening.
9:30 a.m. -- If you thought major concerts were over for 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, think again. Country music star Garth Brooks announced that he'll be hosting a concert event at 300 drive-in theaters across America on June 27. Details HERE.
10:00 a.m. -- Seminole County leaders held a news conference to inform residents of a spike they are seeing in coronavirus cases. “This is a big deal and it’s getting worse,” Seminole County Medical Director Todd Husty said. “We were so close to zero. We were that close and then we started opening up.” Full news conference HERE.
10:45 a.m. -- The latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health report there are 69,069 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state, an increase of 1,698 since Wednesday. That is the largest single-day increase and the ninth day in a row with around 1,000 or more cases. The death toll has also risen to 2,848.
12:00 p.m. -- Governor Ron DeSantis announced a plan on Thursday to reopen schools in the fall at full capacity by August. It includes safety guidelines recommended to students and employees, what to do if a COVID-19 case arises, and how CARES funds will help transition students back into on-campus learning. Full plan HERE.
1:30 p.m. -- The Florida Department of Health reports 1,698 new positive COVID-19 cases (1,677 Florida residents and 21 non-Florida residents)
Below is an interactive Florida Department of Health dashboard, showing a county-by-county breakdown of positive COVID-19 cases statewide.
If you are having trouble seeing the map or using it (especially on a mobile device), click here to load in a new window.
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Phase two of Florida's reopening began on Friday. The following changes are in effect:
- Restaurants can now allow bar-top seating with appropriate social distancing.
- Bars and pubs can now operate with 50 percent capacity indoors and full capacity outside as long as appropriate social distancing is followed. Only seated patrons can receive service.
- 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.
RELATED: Garth Brooks to host concert event at 300 drive-in theaters across America
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.
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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.
RELATED: COVID-19 cases top 2 million in US, according to Johns Hopkins
Globally, there have been over 7.4 million COVID-19 cases, resulting in over 417,000 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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