The Florida Department of Health reported 2,488 deaths from COVID-19 over the past seven days, the highest weekly figure since the pandemic began.
But there was also a glimmer of hope for the Sunshine State, as weekly COVID cases fell by about 30,000, prompting hopes that the Delta variant would be down.
The state previously reported 129,202 cases between Aug. 27 and Sept. 2. But Johns Hopkins University figures released Friday that the state reported 100,249 cases between Sept. 3 and 9, News 8 reported.
Johns Hopkins’ figures put Florida’s total deaths at 2,448 between Sept. 3 and Sept. 9. The Florida state report revealed that 353 deaths have occurred in the past seven days, although the Sunshine State (which has published weekly rather than daily figures since June) often adds the deaths to a date. rear.
In the past seven days, on average, the state has added 339 deaths and 15,633 cases to the total accumulated daily, according to Miami Herald calculations from a separate data set from the Centers for Disease Control.
This happens when the United States continues to see peaks and falls in daily cases of COVID-19 amid the Delta variant, which carried a record number of daily cases throughout August, with a high of 322,934.
The United States came close again on Friday, with Johns Hopkins University & Medicine reporting 262,076 new cases and nearly 4,409 new deaths.
That figure includes the 2,448 weekly deaths recorded Friday by Florida.
Despite a high death toll from COVID-19, Florida has seen its weekly number of COVID-19 cases decline. This past week, nearly 300,000 cases fell
The United States recorded a recent increase of more than 260,000 new cases on Friday
The United States has continued to lead the world in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began
The first case of COVID-19 in the United States was reported 597 days ago on January 21, 2020 and the nation continues to lead among the countries with the highest number of positive cases, with more than 40 million reported.
Florida alone has accounted for about 3.5 million cases and has reported more than 48,000 deaths so far, according to JHU.
Figures show that 75% of eligible Americans have received at least one vaccine injection.
About 56% of those eligible in Florida are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, slightly above the national average of 54% of fully inoculated Americans.
Statewide vaccinations saw a significant decline, as the state reported more than 518,000 doses administered in the week of August 27, but only 349,845 were administered the following week.
That happens when Florida Gov. Mike DeSantis continues to head to head with President Joe Biden with mask and vaccine warrants.
DeSantis had ordered all schools in the state not to impose any masking policies or face budget cuts, much to the dismay of Biden, who promised to help fund schools that separated from the governor’s orders.
The Florida District Court of Appeals reinstated the state’s ban on applying for masks in schools Friday after DeSantis filed an emergency appeal hours after a judge ruled against his executive order. for the second time.
“It’s no surprise here: the first DCA has restored the right of parents to make the best decisions for their children,” DeSantis wrote on Twitter after the reinstatement. “I will continue to fight for parental rights.”
Florida Gov. Mike DeSantis, left, has repeatedly criticized U.S. President Joe Biden’s support for mask and vaccine mandates
Florida parents protested because they did not want their children to wear masks to school
“There are no surprises here: the first DCA has restored the right of parents to make the best decisions for their children,” De Santis wrote on Twitter after the reinstatement. “I will continue to fight for parental rights,” he added later
The court decree means that now the state can go to schools financially if they decide to impose mask warrants.
A DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw praised the decision on Twitter.
“The 1st District Court of Appeals has just accepted Florida State’s request to reinstate the stay, which is the rule that requires ALL Florida school districts to protect of parents’ rights to make decisions about masking children is already in effect. ” Pushaw testified proudly Friday.
The ruling comes despite objections from concerned parents who fear DeSantis’ policy could cause “irreparable harm” to their children amid the Delta variant.
Thirteen of Florida’s 67 school districts currently have mask requirements.
Instead, the state has begun withholding funds equivalent to the monthly salaries of school board members in Alachua and Broward counties and has begun looking for other counties that do not play ball.
“The 1st District Court of Appeals has just accepted Florida State’s request to reinstate the stay, which is the rule that requires ALL Florida school districts to protect of parents’ rights to make decisions about masking children is already in effect. ” DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said she was proud Friday after the governor’s motion passed.
The ruling is the latest development in an ongoing saga between the state and several local school districts, as some Florida schools are struggling to get legal mask warrants after a significant increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the state. In the picture, there are masked students in Florida last month
All of this comes the day after President Joe Biden’s administration announced the creation of a new grant specifically designed to cover fines or withholdings of funds that school districts face because of their mask rules.
Republicans across the country stormed Biden on Thursday after announcing it would use an emergency order to force companies with 100 or more employees to require vaccines or weekly COVID testing.
“I think forcing this and coercing people is not the right decision. I imagine you will see a lot of activity in the courts if they try to do that through executive action, ”DeSantis told a news conference Thursday.
