Orange County

COVID-19 updates: Florida reports almost 8,000 new coronavirus cases, 86 more deaths

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida Department of Health officials reported a total of 7,939 new COVID-19 cases Thursday with 1,814 of those cases in Central Florida.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 2,104,686 cases of the virus reported in Florida.

The number of negative COVID-19 tests in the state increased by 25,638, bringing the total number of cases to 9,985,810.

READ: Here’s where to find the COVID-19 vaccine in your county

The state on Thursday also reported 86 additional COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the state’s death toll of residents and nonresidents to 34,562.

Of the most recent COVID-19-related deaths, 24 were reported in Central Florida, including eight each in Polk and Orange Counties, four in Volusia, and one each in Osceola, Seminole, Flagler and Lake counties.

Brevard, Marion and Sumter counties reported no deaths.

READ: DeSantis announces lawsuit against CDC, federal government demanding cruises be able to sail

At a news conference Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the federal government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding that cruise ships be able to sail from U.S. ports.

The CDC currently has a “conditional sail order” in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

DeSantis said the order preventing cruises has cost many Floridians their jobs and continues to negatively impact the state’s economy.

“Coronavirus

See a county-by-county breakdown of total (and new) cases below, and click here for an interactive map of cases statewide:

ORANGE CASES: 127,153 (685) DEATHS 1,206 (8)

OSCEOLA CASES: 40,666 (170) DEATHS 448 (1)

SEMINOLE CASES: 30,915 (156) DEATHS 472 (1)

POLK: CASES: 62,606 (204) DEATHS 1,292 (8)

VOLUSIA: CASES: 39,538 (216) DEATHS 736 (4)

BREVARD CASES: 38,123 (139) DEATHS 825 (0)

FLAGLER CASES: 6,829 (11) DEATHS 103 (1)

LAKE CASES: 27,321 (148) DEATHS 612 (1)

MARION CASES: 29,444 (71) DEATHS 933 (0)

SUMTER CASES: 8,923 (14) DEATHS 263 (0)

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Matt Reeser

Matt Reeser, WFTV.com

Matt Reeser joined WFTV in 1998 as a news photographer and has worked for television stations in Kentucky and West Virginia.