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Florida reported the fewest number of new COVID-19 cases in three months on Monday with 2,741. Hospitalizations continued to decrease as 4,562 Floridians remain hospitalized with the virus today. That's 129 fewer people over the past day.
Governor DeSantis is reviewing data from Merck’s new antiviral drug molnupiravir, after Friday’s promising announcement indicating a significant reduction in hospitalizations and deaths for those who contracted COVID-19 in clinical trials. DeSantis has been the most aggressive governor in the country with monoclonal antibody treatments.
In other news, NOAA has issued a $125,000 grant to researchers, led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to begin work to identify ways to work to restore and create habitats to support Florida’s manatee population. This comes as Florida has already suffered a record number of deaths this year, losing about a tenth of the total population.
Lastly, the expansion of Brightline from South Florida to Orlando reached a milestone on Monday. Brightline announced they’ve reached Orange County with ongoing construction. This statement comes less than five months after the announcement that the project was more than halfway completed. Once completed the train will connect stops from Orlando to Miami.