Florida ended the week with the fewest new COVID-19 cases since July 20th as 9,148 cases were reported on Saturday. COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida dropped by 503 patients on Sunday to 11,385. The lowest total since August 2nd.
On Friday, Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeal found it was inappropriate for Leon County Circuit Court Judge John Cooper to have lifted the stay on his own ruling striking down Florida’s Board of Education’s ruling mandating parental opt-outs for school mask mandates. The ruling by a three-judge panel reinstates parental choice and makes enforcement of masks mandates by School Districts unlawful. A hearing before the full court is expected to begin soon.
In other news, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has pledged a legal challenge to President Biden’s recently announced vaccine mandate for employees of companies with 100 or more employees. Moody said, "His proposal is outrageous and unlawful. I will be closely watching these developments and taking any and all action within the authority of my office to stop this unprecedented power grab."
Lastly, according to the Wall Street Journal, the summer surge of COVID-19 cases hasn’t impacted the desire for snowbirds to return to Florida this fall and winter. While many snowbirds stayed in Florida once the pandemic began, others in northern states and Canada remained in place last winter.