Florida officials say at least 1,000 test positive for virus
Ron DeSantis is urged to veto

desantis, ron - at miami test site
That includes 13 who have died and tested positive for COVID-19.

More than 1,000 individuals have now tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida.

The most recent update in figures from the Florida Department of Health shows 1,007 cases of the novel coronavirus in the state.

That includes 937 Florida residents and 70 non-state residents tested here.

That’s a significant increase since a Sunday morning press conference, when officials revealed 830 positive cases, an update which included the most recent death.

The rapid increases come as more tests get administered by the state, many through drive-through testing facilities set up in major cities.

Miami-Dade County has now tabulated 227 positive tests, while Broward has seen 217. Palm Beach County has seen 72 cases.

In Hillsborough County, officials report 58 positive cases, while 38 have tested positive in Pinellas County.

In Duval County, 39 individuals have tested positive in the Jacksonville area.

But testing continues to lag, which may indicate numbers will rapidly escalate in coming days.

The Department of Health reports 933 test results are still pending.

Notably, nearly 1 in 9 people tested for coronavirus in Florida so far have tested positive. The state has seen 9,330 tests come back negative.

The new numbers come as the state has focused efforts to increase testing, along with state restrictions on commerce and movement.

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued four executive orders Friday, reinforcing social distancing measures to “flatten the curve” of new infections.

One Executive Order closed restaurant dining rooms and gyms for the duration of the state’s state of emergency, currently slated to expire May 8.

In the order, DeSantis has pushed a need for “social distancing” to try to prevent the spread of the highly contagious and deadly virus known as COVID-19. He issued orders closing various public gathering places.

Meanwhile, there’s growing pressure for DeSantis to close all beaches in the state of Florida, a decision he has left to local governments for the most part. He did order beaches in Broward and Palm Beach counties closed.

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has pushed for a “Stay Home” order similar to those in effect in California, Illinois and New York.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


4 comments

  • John Kociuba

    March 22, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    Dear Citizens ~

    Re: Communist Nikki Fraud

    She’s got her thong on backwards! Has NO CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY to suspend your Constitutional God given Rights!

    Hey Nikki! Did Congress declare war? Is America being invaded? Is there unlawful insurrection? No? Codified law not one word withstanding!

    If you only knew how evil Communist Democrats are! Sad. THEY DESPISE OUR CONSTITUTION AND WOULD ENACT “THE NEW CONSTITUTION FOR THE SOCIALIST STATES OF AMERICA” BY BOB AVAKIAN

  • John Kociuba

    March 22, 2020 at 7:14 pm

    Notice they buried the “Andrew Gilliam” caught with meth and Male prostitute along with Miami police letting him go piece?

    Guess Florida Politics didn’t want their leftist buddy getting prosecuted after public uproar.

  • Sonja Fitch

    March 22, 2020 at 7:36 pm

    Stay at home for 14 days Is our simplest way to stop the spread maybe. Maybe is better than nothing. Governor look to California and New York. Stop listening to paranoid delusional liar trump. Take action now for all of Florida

  • Sue

    March 23, 2020 at 12:53 am

    Close our state and save lives!!!!!!!

Comments are closed.


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