ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Officials in Orange County said they are concerned after seeing a surge in coronavirus cases in the past week.
This comes as Florida health officials reported 11,335 new cases of COVID-19, marking the highest number of cases since July.
Of those cases, 642 were in Orange County.
READ: Florida reports highest number of new COVID-19 cases since July
Orange County’s health officer, Dr. Raul Pino, said hospitalizations in the county have more than doubled since the end of October.
Pino said contact tracers have been able to pinpoint many of the cases to the Thanksgiving holiday.
“The surge we’re seeing is from people not following CDC guidelines. We’re seeing small settings, multigenerational families, so it’s safe to say that’s the same as Thanksgiving celebrations,” Pino said
Pino also said he expects to see an increase in deaths as more and more people end up in the intensive care unit.
He urges people to skip the big family gatherings this Christmas and avoid the risk of contracting the virus.
Cox Media Group
