Florida reports one-day record coronavirus death tally - Financial Times

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Florida cemented its status as one of the hardest-hit states in the US’s widening Covid-19 outbreak by reporting a record one-day increase in coronavirus deaths, tallying 133 fatalities just days after it saw the country’s largest jump in infections.

The new high comes less than a week after Florida set its previous one-day record at 120 and follows weeks of steadily declining fatalities — a sign the month-long outbreak could replicate the grim death toll of the pandemic’s earlier wave in the US north-east.

Florida on Sunday reported the highest one-day increase in cases of any US state since the pandemic began with 15,300, though on Tuesday its fresh cases totalled 9,194, down from 12,624 the day before.

Lael Brainard, a governor on the Federal Reserve board, warned on Tuesday that the new spikes in coronavirus infections could lead to a “second dip” in the US economy, saying a “thick fog of uncertainty” and “downside risks” dominate the outlook.

In one of the most downbeat comments from a top US central banker in recent weeks, Ms Brainard, a former Obama administration official, said the US recovery was “likely to face headwinds even if the downside risks do not materialise, and a second wave would magnify that challenge”, while continuing fiscal stimulus would be “vital” to helping the economy.

“Rolling flare-ups or a broad second wave of the virus may lead to widespread social distancing — whether mandatory or voluntary — which could weigh on the pace of the recovery and could even presage a second dip in activity,” Ms Brainard said, noting that the pain could also be felt on Wall Street.

The White House has insisted that the new spike in cases in the west and south of the country is not as lethal as April’s outbreak centred on New York because it is infecting a larger percentage of younger patients, who are more likely to survive.

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But the new Florida data come just days after other hard-hit states, including Texas and California, set their own one-day records for fatalities. Arizona on Tuesday reported 92 deaths, which is also a record for the state; last week it recorded 117 fatalities in one day, but that included 52 older cases added when the state changed the way it recorded data.

Arizona's health department reported 4,273 new coronavirus cases, a large jump from the day before but short of its one-day record tally.

Despite the dip in new cases on Tuesday, Florida's seven-day average sits at about 11,100. About 15 per cent of all tests in the state came back positive, according to Florida’s health department.

The so-called positivity rate, which is closely watched to see if the outbreak is spreading, was up from 11.5 per cent a day earlier, though the state recorded fewer tests. Florida’s infection rates have levelled off in recent days.

Hospitalisations were also higher, with the number of people being treated rising to 8,197, according to the state agency overseeing hospitals.

Only Texas has more people in hospital. Miami-Dade County in south-eastern Florida and neighbouring Broward County accounted for 37 per cent of the state’s hospitalisations.

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Florida reports one-day record coronavirus death tally - Financial Times
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