MIAMI, Fla. – It’s another day of records for new COVID-19 cases for Florida. According to numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the latest data reported for the state is 58,013 new COVID-19 cases, a surge driven mostly by the omicron variant.
This comes on the heels of a record for new COVID-19 cases of 46,923 reported from data from the previous day. The new numbers from Tuesday had shattered the record set on Christmas Eve with 32,874 cases.
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However, the Miami Herald is reporting that Florida had 77,848 additional COVID-19 cases, according to its calculations of CDC data. The newspaper said the large increase “comes from the CDC backlogging cases and deaths for Florida on Mondays and Thursdays, when multiple days in the past have their totals changed.”
The current cases have now have pushed Florida to more than 4 million with a total of 4,090,000 since the pandemic began, according to data from the CDC.
Both Miami-Dade and Broward counties are opening new sites and expanding hours at existing sites to accommodate the demand for testing.
[WHERE ARE SITES? Testing and vaccination sites in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties can be found by clicking here.]
Miami-Dade has extended hours at the South Dade Government Center, Tropical Park, Zoo Miami and Aventura Mall. And also opened new locations at the Youth Fairgrounds at Tamiami Park and Dolphin Station Park & Ride. At FTX Arena in downtown Miami will be open 24 hours a day for testing through Friday at 1 p.m.
In Broward County, capacity is being increased at Markham, CB Smith and Mills Pond Parks and a new site will be opening at Mullins Park on Monday.
Broward County also began its distribution of home testing kits on Thursday at nine library locations across the area. There is a high-demand for the testing kits throughout South Florida.
More children being hospitalized in record numbers
On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that the omicron-fueled surge that is sending COVID-19 cases rocketing in the U.S. is also putting children in the hospital in close to record numbers.
During the week of Dec. 21-27, an average of 334 children 17 and under were admitted per day to U.S. hospitals with the coronavirus, a 58% increase from the week before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced Thursday that when classes are back in session after winter break, all adults will be required to wear face masks inside the school. Students are “highly encouraged” to wear masks, but will not be forced to wear masks due to a Florida law that prohibits a mask mandate.
Experts with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to recommend universal masking in schools — regardless of vaccination status.