Florida adds over 4,000 COVID-19 cases for 5th time in 8 days

Another 79 deaths related to coronavirus reported in Thursday’s state data

A health worker arranges swab samples of people to test for COVID-19 at a government hospital in Jammu, India, Thursday, Oct.29, 2020. India's confirmed coronavirus caseload surpassed 8 million on Thursday with daily infections dipping to the lowest level this week, as concerns grew over a major Hindu festival season and winter setting in. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) (Channi Anand, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health on Thursday reported another 4,198 cases of COVID-19, pushing the statewide total to 794,624 cases since March.

It was the fifth time in the last eight days that the state reported over 4,000 new cases.

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Florida reported another 79 coronavirus-related deaths Thursday, bringing the state’s total to 16,854 since the pandemic began.

Seven of the additional deaths reported Thursday were in Northeast Florida: four in Baker County (23 total), and one each in Alachua (75), Clay (127) and Union (44).

Duval County reported another 236 cases in Thursday’s report. Jacksonville has seen 34,963 cases since March.

Florida vs. Duval County daily cases diagnosed since June 1

Across Florida, the numbers of those testing positive -- while still way down from the state’s summertime peak -- have begun inching up over the past week.

On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said during an appearance in central Florida that he has lobbied President Donald Trump to loosen travel restrictions from critical travel markets like Brazil and Europe, in hopes of jump-starting tourism into the state’s tourist attractions and beaches.

In Jacksonville, Mayor Lenny Curry on Tuesday extended a mask mandate for another 30 days. While the proclamation carries no fines or penalties, businesses can cite the government requirement when requiring masks inside their establishments.

There were 2,348 people being treated for the disease in Florida hospitals Thursday afternoon, according to a state online census of hospital beds. That figure reached nearly 10,000 in late July, then declined steadily until late September when it began hovering between 2,000 and 2,200 for several weeks.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, breathing trouble, sore throat, muscle pain, and loss of taste or smell. Most people develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia.


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