Task Force Warns Florida Of ‘Full COVID-19 Resurgence’: Report

FLORIDA — As coronavirus cases rise across the state, Florida is currently in the “red zone,” meaning a “full COVID-19 resurgence” is happening in the state, WPLG reported.

According to the Jan. 10 White House Coronavirus Task Force Report, “Florida is in full COVID-19 resurgence, which will drive significant fatalities for many weeks and stress the staffing of the hospital system.”

Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist with the University of South Florida Health, referencing the report, told WFLA that the state needs “aggressive mitigation to match a more aggressive virus.”

This warning from the White House task force comes as Florida reported more than 13,000 new coronavirus cases Thursday and 222 new deaths, according to state data.

The state is also reporting 101 new cases per 100,000 people, the 11th highest rate in the county. Florida’s 10.1 percent positivity rate also puts the state in the red zone, the task force report said.

Meanwhile, the state continues to roll out the coronavirus vaccine, adding new distribution sites throughout the state each week. As of early Thursday morning, 774,768 people in Florida have received at least their first shot in a two-dose series, according to state data.

State lawmakers are also working to protect seniors from coronavirus-related fraud. A new bill would make vaccine scams a third-degree felony in Florida.

The goal of House Bill 9, filed by state Rep. Ardian Zika (R-Land O’Lakes), is to make it “unlawful for any person to knowingly and willfully make a materially false or misleading statement or to disseminate false or misleading information regarding the availability of, or access to, a vaccine for the novel coronavirus ‘COVID-19’ or a vaccine for any other pandemic disease in marketing or advertising materials, on a website, social media platform, or other media, or by telephone, text message, mail or e-mail, with the intent to obtain another person's personal identification information…or to obtain or receive any money or other valuable consideration.”

This article originally appeared on the Sarasota Patch