Florida COVID cases continue to soar, hitting 39,000 during Christmas weekend boom

Florida reported a total of 39,000 COVID cases on Monday representing the Christmas weekend, continuing a spike over the past week as the Omicron variant spread across the country.

21,040 cases were reported in Florida on Saturday in addition to the 17,955 cases reported on Sunday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the report of Florida today was part of a USA Today network analysis of Johns Hopkins University COVID data from around the country.

Hospitalization rates are also increasing, but at a much slower rate, with just under 5,000 COVID patients potentially hospitalized last week, compared with just over 3,000 the week before, Florida Today reported.

Due to the testing models disrupted by Christmas and New Year, it is difficult to get an accurate picture of COVID in the state, but the increasing number of cases and hospitalizations could indicate an impact. of the Omicron variant nationwide.

Scientists believe this variant could be more transmissible and resistant to vaccines, and cause less severe illnesses and fewer hospitalizations, but many still warn the unvaccinated. still account for the majority of hospitalizations, and a spike in cases of the Omicron variant could still put enormous pressure on the nation’s hospital system.

Florida has seen a sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases over the past week. Last Friday, it added more than 32,000 cases, a day after reporting 31,000 in a single day.

Following the Christmas weekend, thousands of Floridians around the state sometimes line up for hours on Monday to get tested for COVID-19. At a test site east of Orlando, some people waited three hours for their turn.

“I feel terrible. I feel at home in bed, cold shower. It’s getting harder here,” Irma Bernabe told Orlando TV station WESH.

At Miami-Dade County libraries, workers distributed 90,000 free home COVID tests, based on The Miami Herald. The county also distributed more than 12,000 tests at its libraries on Christmas Eve.

The number of new COVID-19 cases even forced the cancellation of George Balanchine’s latest performance “The Nutcracker” by the Miami City Ballet Theatre.

The dance company said it had to make “the difficult decision,” and made it publicly available only about an hour before its performance Sunday afternoon at the Adrienne Arsht Center in downtown Miami.

“These are challenging times for everyone and we truly appreciate your support and understanding as we navigate the necessary changes,” the company said in a statement. know Instagram Page.

The Miami City Ballet has yet to announce whether the final performances scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in West Palm Beach will go ahead as planned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.