The United States recorded more than 1,100 COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, with over 170,000 new infections. For the first time since January, more than 100,000 U.S. residents are hospitalized with the disease.
Florida is having its worst week of the pandemic, with daily cases averaging 30% higher than January’s peak. In Florida’s Orange County, children aged 5 to 14 make up the largest group of new coronavirus cases, with a test positivity rate of around 20%. On Tuesday, the Orange County School Board approved a 60-day mask mandate for students, in defiance of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’s ban on public health requirements in schools. More than half of Florida public school students are now under mask mandates.
Meanwhile, Delta Airlines on Wednesday said employees who refuse to get vaccinated will have to undergo weekly coronavirus tests and will have to pay a $200 monthly surcharge on their health insurance plans.