Florida reports 10,000-plus cases for third day in a row
Members of the Wisconsin National Guard test residents for COVID-19 at a temporary test facility set up in the parking lot of the UMOS corporate headquarters on Oct. 9, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health on Saturday reported 10,431 new positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 1,049,638 people infected.
The death toll rose by 90. So far, 19,084 Florida residents have died. Including 243 non-resident fatalities, the combined toll is 19,327.
Saturday marks the third day in a row that more than 10,000 cases have been reported. An additional 10,177 positive COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday and 120 coronavirus-related deaths.
RELATED: Proposal suggests giving $1,500 stimulus checks in exchange for taking COVID vaccine
The number of new cases had generally been trending down in the fall, mirroring the number of tests being given, but those numbers have been steadily climbing. After peaking in July, the number of deaths also began a downward trend in August that continued through October.
RELATED: Interactive map of COVID-19 cases across Florida
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday called for universal mask-wearing and urged Americans to wear face masks indoors amid an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases around the country.
“With colder weather, more time spent indoors, the ongoing U.S. holiday season, and silent spread of disease, with approximately 50% of transmission from asymptomatic persons (2), the United States has entered a phase of high-level transmission where a multipronged approach to implementing all evidence-based public health strategies at both the individual and community levels is essential," the health agency wrote.
RELATED: COVID-19 Vaccine: Your Questions Answered on FOX 35
The new guidance follows an urgent recommendation by the CDC for Americans to stay home over the upcoming holiday season and to consider getting tested for COVID-19 before and after if they do decide to travel.
The CDC said that the best way to stay safe and protect others is to cancel travel plans and stay put. That’s the same advice the agency issued over Thanksgiving, but many Americans traveled anyway. With COVID-19 cases and deaths continuing to rise, the CDC added the testing guidance.