Florida reports 3,615 new COVID-19 cases, lowest daily increase since Halloween

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida reported its lowest single-day COVID-19 case increase since Halloween on Monday.

The state added 3,615 cases. The last time the state reported a daily increase in cases that low was 2,331 on Halloween.

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The increase included 700 cases in Central Florida.

Monday’s numbers bring the state’s total number of cases since the pandemic began to 1,830,988.

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Central Florida Spotlight on the Daytona International Speedway and the Pandemic Greg Warmoth discusses the impact of COVID-19 with Chip Wile, the President of the Daytona International Speedway.

Florida also reported an additional 159 virus-related deaths on Monday, bringing the state’s death toll from the virus to 29,434.

Of the latest deaths, 47 were reported in Central Florida, including 15 in Orange County and 11 in Lake County.

READ: Orange County COVID-19 vaccination appointments available Monday: Here’s how to register

Health officials said there’s a reason for the decline.

“The vaccine is effective,” said Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino.

Pino said cases in children are way down too. And he believes overall, the community is doing a much better job of staying apart and taking precautions like mask-wearing.

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But officials want everyone to know: If we don’t continue these measures, we could see a fourth surge in cases from the new variants.

“The concern is, every time we allow the virus to replicate, which is every new infection, there is this potential that we propel some mutations,” said Alvina Chu, epidemiologist at Orange County Health Department.

In addition, local hospitals are moving down from code red to code green, because hospitalizations are down, too.

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

Orange: CASES: 109,650 (+197), DEATHS: 1,030 (+15)

Polk: CASES: 54,573 (+138), DEATHS: 1,057 (+1)

Osceola: CASES: 35,429 (+35), DEATHS: 402 (+2)

Volusia: CASES: 33,308 (+44), DEATHS: 609 (+5)

Brevard: CASES: 32,083 (+70), DEATHS: 704 (+1)

Marion: CASES: 26,391 (+58), DEATHS: 677 (+1)

Seminole: CASES: 25,879 (+58), DEATHS: 404 (+5)

Lake: CASES: 23,498 (+56), DEATHS: 527 (+11)

Sumter: CASES: 7,608 (+11), DEATHS: 219 (+4)

Flagler: CASES: 5,646 (+34), DEATHS: 85 (+2)