Nearly 1,000 new coronavirus cases reported in Florida Monday

State health officials reported nearly 1,000 new COVID-19 cases Monday, raising the total number of diagnoses in the state to 64,905.

According to a Department of Health (DOH) report, officials confirmed 966 new cases in the past 24 hours. Those new cases contributed to a sixth consecutive day of more than 1,000 cases between Tuesday and Sunday.

Twelve Floridians also died, raising the death toll to 2,798, including 86 non-residents who died in the state. Another 67 people were hospitalized, raising the count of those hospitalized to 11,282.

The last time Florida saw six straight days surpassing 1,000 new cases was between April 6 and April 11, during the virus’ peak in the state. But while new cases are coming in at a faster clip, the increase can in part be attributed to an increase in testing.

On Saturday, DOH received 57,082 individuals’ test results, topped only by the 77,934 people’s results it received on May 19. Those tests found a record 1,433 new cases — since revised to 1,426 — for a 2.59% positivity rate among possible new cases.

However, Sunday saw 1,061 new cases, but from only 27,939 tested individuals, for a slightly above average 3.95%.

Florida has received as many as 77,934 individuals’ results in a single day and has tested more than 1 million people, but Gov. Ron DeSantis and Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz have said the demand for tests falls short of the state’s expanded testing apparatus.

South Florida’s Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties still remain the state’s largest hot spots of the virus since DOH officials confirmed the first two Florida cases three months ago and are not entering Phase Two along with the state’s 64 other counties.

Since Sunday’s report, 209 people in Miami-Dade County have tested positive, raising the overall COVID-19 caseload there to 19,756 people. Two of the 12 people who died statewide were tied to Miami-Dade, raising the death toll there to 778.

Broward County registered 120 new cases, raising its total to 7,924, and four people, now 364 total, have died there. Palm Beach County is approaching with 7,329 cases after DOH showed 99 new reports and one fatality, now 386 total.

Four other counties have more than 2,000 COVID-19 cases: Hillsborough with 2,861, Orange with 2,378, Lee with 2,315 and Collier with 2,070. Four more have upward of 1,000 cases: Duval with 1,806, Pinellas with 1,638, Manatee with 1,219 and Polk with 1,206.

Escambia County is the next closest to crossing that threshold, now with 891 cases.

In Phase Two of Florida’s reopening, which began Friday, movie theaters, bars and casinos in all counties but Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach can open at 50% capacity. On Monday, Miami-Dade reopened gyms, summer camps and short-term vacation rentals.