Florida become the third state to cross 1 million COVID-19 cases

Florida on Tuesday became the third state to hit a total of 1 million coronavirus cases as the nation grapples with an alarming spike in infections.

The Florida Department of Health tallied 1,008,166 cases for the state after over 8,800 new infections were added to the total Tuesday. Over 18,600 people in the Sunshine State have died.

Florida has recorded at least 6,000 new cases every day since Nov. 16, according to the state’s Department of Health.

Just California and Texas have had as many total cases since the pandemic’s outbreak. Prior to the most recent national surge in cases, Florida had been one of the country’s worst COVID-19 hotspots in mid-summer months. 

The bulk of Florida’s cases are located in the southeast region of the state, with Miami Dade County registering over 231,000 cases, Broward County counting over 108,000 cases and Palm Beach County tallying nearly 66,000 cases.

The grim milestone comes as GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis bristles against implementing more stringent health measures, doubling down on his decision to keep public schools open and maintaining this week he’s “opposed to [mask] mandates, period.”

DeSantis has also caught some flak for extending an order that prohibits localities from fining people who violate local pandemic-related mandates.

The governor, a close ally of President Trump, has echoed the White House’s messages focused on the economy.

He announced Tuesday that Florida had received another $28 million in funds from the Labor Department for disaster-relief employment.