{"id":35622,"date":"2020-05-24T23:21:27","date_gmt":"2020-05-24T23:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/virusreports.net\/as-florida-hits-the-beach-on-memorial-day-weekend-states-coronavirus-cases-push-past-50000\/"},"modified":"2020-05-24T23:21:27","modified_gmt":"2020-05-24T23:21:27","slug":"as-florida-hits-the-beach-on-memorial-day-weekend-states-coronavirus-cases-push-past-50000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/virusreports.net\/as-florida-hits-the-beach-on-memorial-day-weekend-states-coronavirus-cases-push-past-50000\/","title":{"rendered":"As Florida hits the beach on Memorial Day weekend, state\u2019s coronavirus cases push past 50,000"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/span> |<\/span> <\/p>\n

May 24, 2020 <\/span> |<\/span> 12:36 PM <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n

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South Floridians returned to Boca Raton’s beach on Saturday as the state’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 50,000.(Wayne K. Roustan)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Florida continued to push past 50,000 as people returned to reopened beaches, restaurants and retailers over Memorial Day weekend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And over half of the cases \u2014 28,743 \u2014 have been confirmed in South Florida, the state reported Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So far, 2,237 people across Florida have died from COVID-19, which is an increase of four deaths over the past 24 hours and 264 over the last week, according to the Department of Health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The state data shows there have been 50,867 people who have tested positive. That\u2019s 740 cases more than Saturday, and an increase of 5,279 cases from one week earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties have had 1,238 deaths reported as of Sunday, an increase of 123 fatalities from a week ago.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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State Health Department reports show the three counties accounted for 28,743 cases as of Saturday, which is an increase of 2,058 cases from a week ago, and 260 over the previous 24 hours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The three counties, home to 28.9% of Florida\u2019s population, have had 55.4% of the state\u2019s coronavirus deaths and 56.5% of the cases.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Gov. Ron DeSantis said this week that there are plenty of positive signs based on lower percentages of positive COVID-19 tests in the data. He said that in the past week only 3% or fewer of those tested were diagnosed with infections, proving that the partial reopening of the state has not been risky or caused a spike in cases.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOur positivity rate is very, very low … even though we\u2019ve expanded testing dramatically,\u201d he said, noting a significant number of new cases are coming from long-term care facilities and prisons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Beachgoers packed the sand Saturday<\/a> in Palm Beach County, Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, Pensacola Beach and elsewhere across the state. Broward County\u2019s beaches are set to start reopening on Tuesday, while the target date in Miami-Dade County is June 1.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cocoa Beach is packed with Memorial Day beachgoers on Saturday, May 23, 2020. The beaches are open for business again during the Coronavirus epidemic. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)(Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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With 872,916 people swabbed so far \u2014 the state population is 21.5 million \u2014 the data shows a total to date of about 5.8% positive statewide and 9.1% in South Florida.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Four weeks ago, on April 25, it was about 9% statewide and 12.6% in South Florida.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Since the pandemic began, 9,381 people have been treated in Florida hospitals, the state reported, an increase of 71 over the last day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sunday\u2019s Department of Health data shows the following breakdown:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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