Cases of coronavirus variants on the rise in Florida

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Cases of coronavirus variants on the rise in Florida

The number of COVID-19 cases in Florida from variants of the virus has more than doubled in the past two weeks, according to a report released Sunday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new report shows Florida has a total of 2,330 variant cases – the highest in the country. As of Thursday, 1,075 cases of variants were reported. Another 1,255 were included in Sunday’s report, USA Today noted.

The vast majority of variant cases in Florida, as well as in the United States in general, were from the B.1.1.7 strain, first observed in the United Kingdom.

Florida also experienced a doubling of P.1, a variant originally recorded in Brazil, for a total of 42 cases.

On March 20, Florida became the third state to reach 2 million coronavirus infections, behind California and Texas.

Florida has relatively lax coronavirus restrictions, which have sent tourists and spring breakers from across the country flocking to the Sunshine State. Notably, a wave of spring breakers has swept through Miami in recent weeks, forcing Miami Beach’s Democratic Mayor Dan Gelber to declare a state of emergency.

Last week, city commissioners voted to extend the 8 p.m. nighttime curfew in the city’s entertainment district until April 12.

Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, warned on Sunday that it was too early to ease coronavirus restrictions, despite widespread vaccination efforts.

“What we’re probably seeing is because of things like spring break and the removal of the mitigation methods you’ve seen now. Several states have done so,” he said.