Florida has recorded the highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases for any state in the country.
The state reported nearly 15,3000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, setting a new daily record for cases among all U.S. states. The number shatters Florida’s previous record of 11,458 new cases in a day, as well as California’s single-day record of 11,694 cases and New York’s record of 11,571.
The uptick comes just a day after Florida’s Disney World parks in Orlando reopened to the public and as more than a dozen states reported daily highs in case numbers in the past week.
Cases of the coronavirus have been increasing in a slew of Southern states in recent weeks. The Trump administration has attributed some of the surges to increased testing availability, but some health experts have also pointed to the rolling back of social distancing measures and the gathering of people in large groups at protests and rallies as contributing factors, as well.
Despite the rising rates, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he still wants schools in the state to reopen next month.
“We know there are huge, huge costs for not providing the availability of in-person schooling,” he said. “The risk of corona, fortunately, for students is incredibly low.”
