HIGHER AND HIGHER

Florida Shatters Daily COVID-19 Records as Omicron Rages

The state reported close to 76,000 new cases on Friday, while only 63% of the population is vaccinated.

Florida reported a record-shattering number of new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 75,962 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus, according to The Miami Herald. That’s significantly larger than the previous pandemic record the state set just two days earlier, when it reported 46,923 new cases to the Centers for Disease Control. Although this steep rise in cases is also being matched by a general drop in the number of deaths attributed to the disease, the ripples are still being felt across the board with canceled flights and stark warnings from the CDC to avoid all cruise ships. Only 63 percent of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, putting Florida in 22nd place nationwide, according to the latest CDC stats pulled by The Daily Beast. That leaves 7.8 million people who have not yet received the vaccine, a significant number considering the retirement haven’s outsized elderly population—and its role as a massive international transportation hub. Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to shrug off mask mandates and social distancing rules in favor of after-the-fact monoclonal antibody treatments, even though all children under 5 years old continue to be at risk of exposure without a government-approved vaccine. And the Florida Department of Health decided to top its Twitter account with this message: “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” Singing has been documented as one of the best, fastest ways to spread the virus.