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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.

READ: All Central Florida Publix COVID-19 vaccination appointments booked: Here’s your next chance

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.

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

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.

READ: Jared Moskowitz stepping down as head of state’s Division of Emergency Management

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)

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.

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