Florida reported 31,518 more COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the state’s overall total to 1,354,833.
More than 21,800 people have died from the virus in Florida, with 217 more deaths recorded Saturday, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The state did not issue a COVID-19 report on New Year’s Day in observance of the holiday. The numbers reported Saturday include data from Jan. 1, 2021.
Miami-Dade County surpassed 300,000 cases Saturday, an increase of 1,796 cases since Thursday. The county reported 4,239 COVID-related deaths, 51 more than in Thursday’s report.
In Broward County, more than 138,500 cases were reported, nearly 900 more than reported Thursday. Over 1,800 people have died from the virus in Broward, 15 more than Thursday.
Palm Beach County had 83,718 cases and 1,908 virus-related deaths Saturday while Monroe County had 4,137 cases and 35 deaths.
The increase in cases comes after local officials instituted curfews and other measures in an effort to curb the spread over the New Year’s Eve holiday. In Key West, a curfew of 10:30 p.m. was set, while Miami-Dade and Broward announced curfews of 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.
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The new numbers also come amid a new strain of the COVID-19 virus that experts say is 70 percent more contagious than what we’ve already seen.
Around South Florida, those eligible for vaccinations -- including the elderly and health care workers -- have started receiving injections.
To find out more about vaccinations, click here.
