Florida exceeds 1.9 million coronavirus cases following Saturday report
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health on Saturday reported another 110 resident deaths and 5,459 new cases.
The new numbers bring the statewide total to 1,903,682 cases since the pandemic began. There have been over 31,000 deaths.
Keep in mind, the deaths are from previous days and can take weeks for reports to appear.
With vaccine distribution ramping up, U.S. health advisers endorsed a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson on Friday, putting the nation on the cusp of adding an easier-to-use option to fight the pandemic.
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The Food and Drug Administration is expected to quickly follow the recommendation and make J&J’s shot the third vaccine authorized for emergency use in the U.S. Vaccinations are picking up speed, but new supplies are urgently needed to stay ahead of a mutating virus that has killed more than 500,000 Americans.
After daylong discussions, the FDA panelists voted unanimously that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks for adults. If the FDA agrees, shipments of a few million doses could begin as early as Monday.
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More than 47 million people in the U.S., or 14% of the population, have received at least one shot of the two-dose vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which FDA authorized in December.
Meanwhile, the House passed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package early Saturday, 219-212, that includes $1,400 checks for most Americans and billions of dollars for schools, state and local governments and businesses.
Read more about the COVID-19 relief bill HERE.