Though many temporarily unavailable offerings have started to return, the global health crisis is still present in the United States.

A few days ago, it was reported that nearly one in five new COVID-19 cases in the United States originated in Florida. Now, the state leads the nation in new cases as COVID-19 experiences a surge. As we have said before, we love keeping you, our readers, up to date on important news that could impact your Disney vacations. That’s why we do our best to keep you updated with weather updates, Florida news that’s not from Disney, and other non-Disney-specific travel updates.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, COVID-19 is surging in Florida in ways not seen since the summer of 2020. Over the course of a recent week, the state saw an average of over 6,500 new infections every day.

Data from the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention shows Florida with more new cases than any other state and the most COVID hospitalizations — nearly 19% of nationwide hospital admissions.

According to Dr. Tom Unnasch, a public health professor at the University of South Florida, “The numbers are going up faster than any time I’ve ever seen since I started doing calculations back in June 2020.” 

Cases had been falling since Florida’s third wave in April until they started to pick up a few weeks ago. This surge is taking place nationally with Florida helping to drive the data.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ press secretary Christina Punshaw noted to the Tampa Bay Times, “Governor DeSantis has ruled out COVID lockdowns and mask mandates. The key to Florida’s success has been protecting the most vulnerable, i.e. seniors and residents of long-term care facilities.” Since the Governor has ruled out mandates, Orange County’s Mayor Demings has recommended that masks be worn indoors again.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the situation with COVID-19 in Florida and how it affects Disney World. The CDC still recommends delaying travel if you are not vaccinated. Check back with DFB for the latest updates!

Click here to learn more about cases in Florida.

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The post NEWS: Florida Leads the U.S. in New COVID-19 Cases first appeared on the disney food blog.