Florida has become the latest hot spot in the U.S. coronavirus outbreak and on Sunday, the state broke the national record in the highest number of new cases logged in a single day.
Florida Snaps National Single-Day Record
On Sunday, the Florida Department of Health logged at least 15,299 new COVID-19 cases in the state, marking the highest daily increase of new infections in the country recorded by any state.
More than the shocking spike in new cases in the state, health authorities are concerned about the test positivity rate in Florida as it reached 19.6 percent on Sunday.
The test positivity rate indicates how fast or how slow a virus is spreading in a particular area. In the case of Florida, a rate of nearly 20 percent indicates that COVID-19 is spreading fast in the state.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to implement a mask mandate but he dropped hints on holding off the next phase of reopening due to the hiking test positivity rate that health experts have warned about.
Almost 143,000 Tests on Saturday
Over the weekend, Florida health authorities have been on the roll, with almost 143,000 COVID-19 tests carried out across the state. Of the said tests, 11.25 percent came back positive.
Despite concerns about the rising COVID-19 cases in Florida, the state will host the Republican National Convention next month, raising further concerns about the local government's efforts in preventing further virus spreading.
Schools will also start opening next month for at least five days a week, but some health experts warned of the potential risks that school reopening can bring about, as was the case in South Korea.
U.S. Reaches 3.3. Million Cases
The United States has now reached a total of 3,413,995 confirmed COVID-19 cases following an additional 56,000 new infections on Sunday.
The news came after President Donald Trump threatened to cut educational funds for states that refuse to reopen schools. Health experts have been warning of the potential spike in school-related infections once schools reopen across the country.
White House vs. Fauci
As the coronavirus situation in the U.S. worsens, reports emerged suggesting that the Trump administration is taking a hit at the country's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has been publicly raising concerns about the White House's handling of the crisis.
A White House official revealed that "several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong on things."
It was previously revealed that Trump and Fauci have stopped speaking to each other following some interviews wherein Fauci publicly disagreed with the former's statements about the COVID-19 situation.
Trump has also been publicly disagreeing with Fauci's comments. The business mogul and global leader said he doesn't believe that Fauci's statement on the country being "knee-deep in the first wave" is true.
Fauci has served under six American presidents over the past years and has earned the public's trust.
