Florida records another 12,478 COVID-19 cases and 87 new deaths

Florida’s coronavirus cases continued to soar Sunday, with the state reporting another 12,478 cases.

The state and national record for one day is 15,300 cases, reported July 12.

At least 350,047 people have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, the Florida Department of Health said.

The state recorded 87 new deaths Sunday morning in its latest coronavirus pandemic data report.

A total of 5,091 people have died from the virus in Florida, reports show. That figure includes 109 people from outside the state.

The COVID-19 death toll in Florida topped 5,000 people on Saturday.

The state also reported that 20,971 Florida residents have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic. That’s 339 more people than on Saturday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has complained that headlines about the coronavirus record is unfairly terrifying people because the news lacks the “appropriate context and perspective.”

During a news conference Saturday at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine, DeSantis said the public needs to know that one main reason for the record cases was due to the state receiving 143,000 test COVID-19 test results that day. That day’s percentage of positive tests — indicating the prevalence of the disease — was higher than desired at 14%, he noted.

“It’s important to put that in context because I think a lot of people see cases I think they get really, really scared, and my message is fear is our enemy,” DeSantis said. “And I think the other thing that gets missed with the cases is the sheer number of people who are testing who aren’t sick. Because I think most people see cases and they think that many people are in the hospital.”

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Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4554 or on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan

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