Florida reported 8,785 new COVID cases

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – According to the latest CDC data, on Friday, Florida reported another jump in COVID-19 cases with 8,785 new infections attributed to the prior day.

It’s the largest daily increase in the state since Sept. 21.

From late October through early December, Florida had been averaging fewer than 2,000 new cases per day. That’s after a peak of more than 21,000 new cases per day during the summer surge in August.

Long lines for coronavirus testing were seen Friday at Tropical Park in southwest Miami-Dade County as the omicron variant has suddenly become the prominent strain locally.

Despite the rising cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that Florida will not take any shutdown measures. Instead, he promoted the state’s monoclonal antibody treatment sites for people who do become infected with COVID-19.

Miami-Dade County has ordered hospitals to once again report their daily COVID numbers to get a better idea of the impact of this case surge.