Earlier this week, Florida reported a record 5,511 new coronavirus cases in a single day. That now seems pale in comparison to Friday's figure: 8,942. The state Department of Health also reported 137 new deaths, reports the Miami Herald. In response, state officials imposed a severe new restriction on bars by banning on-premises consumption of alcohol, per the Sun Sentinel. The thinking is that younger bar-goers are playing a big role by ignoring social-distancing rules. The latter newspaper also provides context on the stats: From May 17-26, the state saw 7,444 new cases. From June 17-Friday, it saw 42,851 new cases, bringing the total to nearly 123,000.
While increased testing is a factor in the rise in cases, the number of positive tests remains above the key threshold of 10% seen as worrisome. In fact, it's significantly above: Nearly 52,000 tests were conducted Friday, and 17.3% came back positive. On Thursday, the positivity rate on a record 71,433 tests was 13%, notes the Hill. Last month, roughly 3% of tests were coming back positive. Gov. Ron DeSantis warned bars days ago that if they failed to adhere to safety guidelines, they could lose their licenses, notes the Tampa Bay Times. (Also on Friday, Texas re-closed its bars.)
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