Florida posted the first day above 10,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday the week, however, the total was still lower than the prior Wednesday which continued the improving trend for new cases which remains the lowest in over two months. Progress also continued with COVID-19 hospitalizations. There are currently 7,845 patients hospitalized with the virus statewide. That’s a decline of another 285 patients over the past day.
Florida’s new Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, signed off on new COVID-19 protocols for school quarantines for students potentially exposed to COVID-19. If students remain asymptomatic, the new rule provides parents, as opposed to school officials, with the choice as to whether they should quarantine. Under the previous protocols, asymptomatic students potentially exposed were mandated to quarantine for a minimum of four days.
On a related note, a lawsuit brought against the state’s law mandating parental opt-outs for school mask mandates has been dismissed. The suit brought by Alachua, Broward, Leon, Miami-Dade and Orange counties was dismissed by an administrative law judge. This after the First District Court of Appeal previously upheld the state’s law. Every school district which is mandating masks without parental opt-outs is in violation of the law with now multiple failed legal challenges.