ORLANDO, Fla. — Read live updates below:
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood gives COVID-19 update
9:40 p.m. update
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood updated the latest COVID-19 numbers for the county.
He said the county has seen 663 positive cases and 37 people have lost their lives due to the virus.
Our latest covid-19 numbers for Volusia County are attached along with a message for the Monday morning quarterbacks. pic.twitter.com/8sho3GUPy0
— Mike Chitwood (@SheriffChitwood) May 25, 2020
Orange County offers COVID-19 testing on Memorial Day
7:19 p.m. update
Orange County leaders said COVID-19 testing is available on Memorial Day at 9400 Universal Boulevard.
The testing is free for all Central Florida residents and visitors, and the location opens at 9 a.m.
#COVID19 Testing Available on Memorial Day:
— Orange County FL (@OrangeCoFL) May 24, 2020
📍 @OCCC - 9400 Universal Blvd.
⏰ Opens at 9 a.m.
🆓 Free of charge for all Central Florida residents and visitors.
For more details, visit https://t.co/fMN2zRsvox. pic.twitter.com/8m6IRFhfJK
Daytona Beach’s Midtown Cultural Center COVID-19 testing site administers more than 1,000 tests in nine days
5:55 p.m. update
The Daytona Beach’s Midtown Cultural Center COVID-19 testing site administered more than 1,000 tests in nine days, officials said.
5 more COVID-19 deaths, 740 new cases statewide
12:55 p.m. update
Florida health officials reported five new coronavirus-related deaths statewide since Saturday -- the lowest day-to-day increase since March 29, records show.
Officials also reported 740 additional cases of the virus statewide since Saturday.
The total number of cases in the state is now at 50,867, with deaths at 2,237.
Of the latest deaths reported, one happened in Volusia County.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Coronavirus cases in Florida
Click here for an interactive map of cases statewide, and see each local county’s number of cases below:
• Orange: 1,808 (1,768 Saturday)
• Polk: 869 (853 Saturday)
• Volusia: 663 (655 Saturday)
• Osceola: 658 (648 Saturday)
• Seminole: 454 (no change since Saturday)
• Brevard: 394 (389 Saturday)
• Lake: 273 (271 Saturday)
• Sumter: 253 (no change since Saturday)
• Marion: 237 (233 Saturday)
• Flagler: 177 (173 Saturday)
Download the WFTV news app and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for live updates on this developing story, or click here to have updates sent straight to your inbox.
Planet Fitness to reopen
11:35 a.m. update
Planet Fitness said it will reopen its Central Florida locations Tuesday.
Click here to see what restrictions will be in place at each gym.
Read: Florida gyms ready for reopening under pandemic guidelines
NBA eyes Disney World as hub for games, practices and housing
10:10 a.m. update
The National Basketball Association said it is holding discussions with the Walt Disney Company about restarting the 2019-2020 NBA season at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.
Read: NBA in talks with Disney to restart season at Wide World of Sports complex
Walt Disney World’s sports complex would be used as a single site for an NBA campus for games, practices and housing.
The season would restart in late July, officials said. Click here to read more.
Read: Ex-Hoya, ex-Knick, current Georgetown coach Ewing has COVID
The following is a statement from NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass: pic.twitter.com/8gfK5iVXs8
— NBA (@NBA) May 23, 2020
Hertz files for bankruptcy protection
7:05 a.m. update
Hertz has filed for bankruptcy protection, unable to withstand the coronavirus pandemic that has crippled global travel and with it, the heavily indebted 102-year-old car rental company’s business.
The Florida-based company’s lenders were unwilling to grant it another extension on its auto lease debt payments past a Friday deadline, triggering the filing.
Read: Coronavirus: Hertz files for bankruptcy protection
By the end of March, Hertz had more than $24 billion in debt with only $1 billion of available cash.
Starting in mid-March, the company lost all revenue when travel nearly shut down due to the novel coronavirus.
Hertz also has been plagued by management upheaval, naming its fourth CEO in six years on May 18.
Download the WFTV news app and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for live updates on this developing story, or click here to have updates sent straight to your inbox.
Official who questioned Florida’s COVID-19 data was fired for speaking publicly
5:45 a.m. update
Records show that a woman who raised questions about Florida’s COVID-19 data had been reprimanded and ultimately fired for violating Florida Health Department policy by making public remarks about the information.
Rebekah Jones has sought to sow doubt about the credibility of the data after being ousted as the data’s curator.
Read: Was Florida’s COVID-19 data purged? State officials calls for investigation
State health officials strenuously deny any issue with the information’s accuracy as Gov. Ron DeSantis seeks to make a data-driven case for a step-by-step reopening of the state’s battered economy.
Read: Coronavirus: Weight Watchers executes mass firing via Zoom
Jones has suggested agency managers wanted her to manipulate information to paint a rosier picture and that she pushed back.
Click here to read a full recap of Friday’s developments, and click here to watch live, in-depth coverage of Florida’s reopening on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.
Read: TIMELINE: Coronavirus - Saturday, May 23
Cox Media Group
