FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Florida reported another 1,758 coronavirus cases on Monday, continuing a statewide surge in infections.
The state's total since the beginning of the pandemic is now 77,326, the Department of Health said. It's the 13th consecutive day of 1,000-plus cases, although the latest report of new cases isn't as bad as either Saturday or Sunday, when more than 2,000 cases a day were added to the state total.
Of the new coronavirus cases over the previous 24 hours, 620 are in South Florida. Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties have a total number of 40,298 positive tests, according to Health Department reports.
Palm Beach County had reported a large share of the state's new cases over the weekend, but it was much lower on Monday, with 182 new cases over 24 hours. On Sunday, the state said Palm Beach County had 391 new cases _ 19% of the new infections statewide in a county that is home to 7% of the state's population.
That doesn't mean Palm Beach County doesn't have a significant coronavirus problem. Broward County is home to 30% more people than Palm Beach County, but the neighboring counties have about the same number of cases.
Florida officials also reported Monday that at least 3,030 people in the state have died from the new coronavirus, eight more than on Sunday.
The death total includes the 2,938 resident deaths the state reports online plus the deaths of 92 non-residents.
South Florida leads the state in the number of people who have died from coronavirus-caused illness. Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties have had at least 1,663 coronavirus deaths. The region's number is six more than it was on Sunday.
On Sunday, Florida added 2,016 cases to its coronavirus total. The state added 2,581 new cases on Saturday, 1,902 new cases on Friday, and 1,698 on Thursday.
Public health experts and political leaders offer varying theories for why the number of new cases has been increasing at a more rapid pace in June.
An increase in the number of people tested is going to produce more positive tests, because it will include people who have been infected but haven't experienced symptoms. That's been a central argument from Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor has also emphasized that coronavirus cases are concentrated in specific population groups: residents of nursing homes, inmates in jails and prisons, and agriculture workers.
Another possible contributing factor: most of the state began reopening on May 4, and as more people engage in more activities outside their homes, the chances for exposure increase.
Also, many people don't comply with recommendations on controlling the spread of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people should wear masks to prevent the spread, a practice that is far from universal.
Last week, DeSantis said people in Miami and Broward are better at wearing masks than people in Palm Beach County. Palm Beach County also has a significant agricultural sector in which people live and work in close proximity, making social distancing impossible.
Monday's Department of Health reports show:
Miami-Dade County, the Florida coronavirus hot spot, had 22,197 cases on Monday. That is an increase of 280 from Sunday. The 841 Miami-Dade County deaths is one more than Sunday. Miami-Dade County which has 13% of the state's population, has 28.7% of the state's cases and 27.8% of the deaths.
Broward has had 9,086 cases, 158 more than Sunday. It has had 380 deaths, two more than the day before.
Palm Beach County has had 9,015 cases, 192 more than Sunday. It has had 442 deaths, three more than on Sunday.
The Department of Health reported 12,015 people have been treated in Florida hospitals for COVID-19 illness since the beginning of pandemic-related record-keeping, an increase of 73 since Sunday. South Florida has had 6,648 hospitalizations, an increase of 19 over the previous 24 hours.
U.S., global view
The coronavirus death toll in the United States reached at least 115,747 deaths on Monday, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. has almost 2.1 million coronavirus cases, the most of any country in the world. There have been at least 43,484 deaths in the national hot spots of New York and New Jersey.
Johns Hopkins also reported almost 8 million cases worldwide. At least 434,081 people have died.
The United States has 4.3% of the world's population and 26.4% of the world's cases.
