This Florida county had nation's 8th worst death toll in summer surge
Welcome to today's edition of the Florida Coronavirus Watch Newsletter. Let's get you up to speed with the latest news of the day from the USA TODAY Network — Florida.
Here's what's happening around the state
Duval County had nation's eighth-worst death toll in COVID-19 surge: In the rise and fall of COVID-19 cases, Duval County had the eighth-highest number of virus-related deaths in the nation during the summer surge that darkened what had been a brightening picture for the pandemic, according to a Florida Times-Union analysis of federal data. Here's the full story for subscribers.
Mask policies are a-changin': Masks are now completely optional in Leon County Schools. Parents no longer have to opt out their child from wearing a mask with a form sent to the school. Instead, a parent has sole discretion on whether their child wears a mask.
New UF study: Patients who have recovered from severe COVID-19 have more than twice the mortality risk within the year following their illness than people who have not contracted the virus, according to a study by University of Florida researchers published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.
Controversial pastor to visit Florida church: A controversial Tennessee pastor who made national headlines and was kicked off Twitter for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic has been invited to speak at a Bradenton church.
News from the nation: The federal travel mask mandate isn't going away any time soon thanks to the emergence of omicron, the latest COVID-19 variant of concern. President Joe Biden announced Thursday an extension of the Transportation Security Administration's mandate, which requires travelers to mask up on airplanes, trains, buses and in airports and train stations, through March 18.
And, Biden unveils COVID-19 winter plan: Tighter travel rules, free at-home tests and booster shots are key elements of President Joe Biden's latest strategy to combat the rapidly evolving coronavirus.
Latest fact checks
The good stuff (dog edition)
Meet Rocket! Such a good boy: A K-9 that can find hidden electronic storage devices (ESD) to fight computer crime is now working for the Tallahassee office of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Dog named Grand Marshal of Christmas Parade: If you live in the Panhandle, you may be familiar with "Surf Dog." He's lived an interesting life on the run — his free spirit just can't be tamed. The local celebrity will be representing his hometown as grand marshal of the 17th annual Christmas in Panacea parade.
Anything else you want to know? Ask your questions here. And finally, thank you for reading. We appreciate you trusting our statewide journalists to keep you safe and informed. If you are encouraged by our work and want to support your local journalists, please consider subscribing. Know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward this email so they can sign up here.
Megan's note of the day: I realized I missed my usual note about being halfway through the week, which means this week really must be flying by! We're one step closer to the weekend.
Here's what's happening with the coronavirus in Florida today.
— Megan Kearney, mkearney@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: This Florida county had nation's 8th worst death toll in summer surge
