Florida reports record of nearly 22,000 new coronavirus cases

Nearly 22,000 new coronavirus cases were reported in Florida on Saturday, by far the biggest one-day increase on record, with more than 10,000 people being treated for COVID-19 at hospitals across the state.

The CDC said 21,683 new cases were reported on Saturday, up from 14,258 last week and surpassing the record of 19,817 on January 7. The state also reported 108 new deaths, one of the highest death tolls in recent months.

At least 10,187 coronavirus patients are being treated across the state, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, a net increase of 488 from the day before and the highest since August 3, 2020. Of those hospitalized, at least 2,038 are in intensive care.

Dr. Aharon Sareli, Chief of Critical Care Medicine at Memorial Healthcare System, said he felt sorry for people who have decided not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as a result of misinformation.

“I don’t blame them, I feel sorry for them,” he said. “I feel sorry for our society that we don’t just stick to medical information and try and save people’s lives, because ultimately that’s what we’re here for, that’s what we want to do and I think that the situation is so much more tragic now than it was a year ago because now we have a way to prevent this.”

Cases in Florida account for nearly a fifth of daily cases across the United States, even though the state accounts for less than 6.5 percent of the nation’s population.

Earlier this week, AdventHealth put its Central Florida Division on code black due to a surge in patients who are suffering from COVID-19. All non-emergency surgeries and outpatient procedures have been postponed at AdventHealth hospitals in the region.

“Cases continue to rise sharply with no sign that the surge is beginning to decelerate,” Dr. Neil Finlder, chief clinical officer of the Central Florida Division, said on Thursday night. At the current rate, the number of COVID-19 patients in Florida could soon surpass the peak of 12,282 in July 2020.

More than 100,000 new coronavirus cases were reported across the U.S. on Friday, the biggest one-day increase since February, according to official figures gathered by BNO News and NewsNodes. The CDC estimates that the Delta variant accounts for at least 82 percent of new cases nationwide.