Duval County had 424 additional cases reported Thursday for a total of 18,781. Its percentage of positive tests on Thursday was 8.7%.
The nine deaths in Duval County ranged in age from 65 to 93. Columbia, which has had an outbreak of cases at the prison, reported three more deaths to bring its total to 10. Clay County added two more deaths — a 69-year-old woman and a 72-year-old man — to bring its total to 47.
St. Johns (82-year-old woman), Bradford (78-year-old woman) and Putnam (76-year-old man) reported one additional death each.
Of those who have been confirmed to have COVID-19 in the state, 23,225 patients have been hospitalized across the state since Florida began tracking data in March. That includes 581 new hospitalizations reported statewide since Thursday — a one-day record.
The state does not report a number of patients who have recovered.
Amid the ongoing spike in cases in Florida, and Jacksonville, President Donald Trump announced Thursday night that he was calling off the Jacksonville portion of the Republican National Convention because he didn’t want to send the wrong message by hosting a large gathering.
“There’s nothing more important than keeping the American people safe,” Trump said. “I want to thank the Jacksonville community and all of the other political representatives. They were there for us 100%.”
Jacksonville had been given only a short window of opportunity to prepare after the RNC, which was abruptly pulled from its original venue in Charlotte over a dispute about coronavirus prevention efforts.
Many school districts are grappling with the challenge of finding ways to safely reopen this fall despite the ongoing spike in cases, and many are pushing back their start dates to allow more preparation.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said during an address Wednesday on school reopenings that parents should all have a choice between sending their children physically back to schools in the fall or opting for distance learning.
“The evidence that schools can be open in a safe way is overwhelming,” DeSantis said. “Yet I also understand the apprehension that some parents may feel, and I believe in empowering them with a choice. No parent should be required to send their child to in-person instruction if they don’t want to.”
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Richard Corcoran, the state’s education commissioner, issued an order for all schools to reopen for in-person classes during the fall. The order also instructs school districts to follow the advice of state and local health officials as well as executive orders issued by DeSantis.
Florida is considered in the “red zone,” according to an unpublished document prepared for the White House Coronavirus Task Force that was obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit newsroom.
The 359-page document outlines and suggests measures that the states in the “red zone” should take, encouraging people to “wear a mask at all times.” It suggests states limit social gatherings to 10 people or fewer and maintain closures of bars and gyms.
While the state regulator in charge of businesses said last Friday that bars will not be reopening yet in the state, DeSantis has declined to close gyms again, saying people should have the chance to stay healthy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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