As communities in the Sunshine State wrap up their first week under phase one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ reopening plan, cases of coronavirus across the state continue to rise.
As of Saturday morning, the Florida Department of Health reported a total of 40,001 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the respiratory illness was first detected in the state on March 1.
The FDOH also reports 1,715 total deaths as a result of complications with coronavirus. [READ MORE: When did coronavirus first appear in Florida?] Since Friday, there were 802 new cases of COVID-19 reported by the FDOH, and 46 new deaths.
Over 7,000 people have been hospitalized due to the respiratory illness. The state does not report current hospitalization numbers. [TIMELINE: The spread of