According to data released by the Florida Department of Health, one in four new COVID-19 infections in Florida occurred among young residents between the ages of 0 and 19.
Between August 13 and August 19, there were 150,118 new COVID-19 cases in the state. Of these infections, 20,331 cases occurred in people under 12 years of age, and 17,310 cases occurred in people between 12 to 19 years old. Tampa bay times First Report According to the latest published data.
The high rate of infection among young people in Florida comes as state officials and some school districts disagree about the ban on wearing masks in schools.
Chandan Khanna
July 30, the Governor Ron DeSantis An order was signed prohibiting school officials from issuing instructions for masks. But several school districts defy the governor.
Wednesday, Hillsborough County School District vote After nearly 1,500 students contracted COVID-19 in the past two weeks, they were authorized to wear masks for 30 days.
School officials in Broward and Alachua County also issued instructions on masks.On Friday, state officials threat If Broward County and Alachua County do not revoke their authorization and allow parents to choose not to mask their children, then funds equal to the salary of the board members will be withheld.
“We can’t let government officials choose the laws they want to comply with,” Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said in a statement on Friday.
“This is the initial consequence of their deliberate refusal to comply with state laws and state rules, and the deliberate and voluntary violation of parental rights. This is simply unacceptable behavior,” he added.
State data also shows that Florida reported nearly 1,500 COVID-19 deaths between August 13 and 19, an increase of 141% from two weeks ago. Tampa bay times.
Florida hospitals currently nervous As patients fill up the intensive care unit. The Florida Hospital Association predicted on Tuesday that only 8.2% of the state’s ICU beds are available, and said that 75% of the state’s hospitals are expected to face a “serious staff shortage” next week.
DeSantis has been criticized for his recent response to the Florida pandemic.in a letter Earlier this month, more than 800 doctors in Florida urged him to stop opposing wearing masks.
“As the virus spreads in Florida, health care providers believe that we are fighting this fire without the leadership of any Governor Ron DeSantis. To prevent communities from making local decisions to protect themselves, his top-down, one-size-fits-all The decree will only make things worse,” the letter read.
