Florida breaks another record for COVID-19 cases

Florida broke its single-day record for new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as the omicron variant continues to drive a surge in infections.

The state reported 31,758 cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database on Thursday. The previous high was 27,669 in August when the delta variant swept the state.

The statewide positivity rate rose to 13.8 percent for the week, up from 5.3 percent the week prior.

Florida had its largest single-day spike in cases earlier this week, another illustration of how the new variant has hit the United States hard.

The country has seen several COVID-19 records broken as omicron has become the dominant strain over the last month.

Early research suggests that the new variant has caused less severe illness than strains, at least for fully vaccinated individuals.

More than 70 percent of Floridians over the age of 5 are fully vaccinated.