What to Know
- Florida set a new single-day record Tuesday for reported coronavirus deaths with 276
- There have been more than 8,550 coronavirus-related deaths among Florida residents to-date
- The state also reported more than 5,800 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday
The death toll in Florida from COVID-19 increased Tuesday by a new single-day record of 276 deaths, according to the state's Department of Health.
The figure reflects the number of residents whose deaths were confirmed Monday, after a weekend when new death and hospitalization numbers are often lower than the rest of the week. Many died days and weeks ago, but are only being confirmed now.
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Florida had previously set the single-day high for reported deaths on July 31, with 257.
The new deaths reported brought the state's total to 8,553 since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The percentage of all tests reported Tuesday that came back positive increased for the second straight day, to 14.70%, the highest since July 31. When retests of those already positivity are excluded, the new case rate increased as well, to 10.30%, its highest level in six days.
Florida also reported 5,831 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, for a total of 542,792. Tuesday's results came from just under 67,000 tests.
The median age of people who tested positive in Tuesday's results was 43, slightly above the average age of cases in the state for the past two weeks.
Statewide, more than 4,055,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 to-date.
In South Florida, Miami-Dade County's case total rose Tuesday by more than 1,500, to 135,130, and the county's virus-related deaths rose by 35, to 1,909.
In Broward County, there were 63,605 COVID-19 cases reported, a daily increase of about 700, along with 856 virus-related deaths, 35 more than Monday.
Palm Beach County had 37,641 cases and 940 virus-related deaths Tuesday, while Monroe County had 1,548 cases and 13 deaths.
Meanwhile, at a roundtable discussion at Florida State University Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed for college athletics to return in the fall.
"This is the safest place to be, to take away that season would be short-circuiting the dreams that so many of our student athletes have worked for, in many cases their whole lives," DeSantis said.
