Florida reports highest single-day coronavirus death toll since pandemic began
People are tested for COVID-19 in Orlando, Florida on July 8. Photo: Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images
120 people in Florida have died from the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the state's health department reported on Thursday.
Why it matters: It's the state's highest daily death toll from the coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.
Where it stands: Hillsborough, Duval and Orange Counties have joined Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach as the most highly infected areas in the state, according to Florida's health department.
- Just over 4,000 people have died in Florida and over 17,000 people have been hospitalized.
- The state reported its highest single-day caseload last week, with 11,405 infections reported on Friday.
What's happening: Florida's education commissioner ordered schools to reopen in August, saying in an emergency order on Monday that they must be open “at least five days per week for all students."
- The Mayor of Miami-Dade County on Thursday issued a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew "until further notice" as infections continued to surge.
The big picture: Coronavirus deaths are ticking up in the new hotspots of Florida, Texas and Arizona, even as they continue to trend down nationally, Axios' Caitlin Owens reports.
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