1,977 Florida Coronavirus Cases; State Lockdown Not Likely Yet

TALLAHASSEE, FL — The number of coronavirus cases in Florida climbed to 1,977 Wednesday night while the death toll in the state rose to 23, according to state health officials.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has already issued a number of statewide orders related to the coronoavirus, has been reluctant to order a complete lockdown of the state as has been done in states like New York and California.

Twenty-one of Florida's 67 counties still have not reported any cases of the virus but others like Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties in South Florida account for more than half of the total number of cases.

With those dynamics, the governor has largely left the decision to impose lockdowns on each county and municipality in the state thus far in the crisis.

"I also look at some of these other states that have done it, and I see massive noncompliance, and I'm not even sure how effective it is," DeSantis insisted. "If you're doing a big block party in California during a lockdown, wouldn't it be better to just go to work? You're probably going to transmit the virus less in the office than you are with a bunch of drunk idiots in a block party."

Florida's total includes 1,867 positive cases of Florida residents and 110 cases involving non-Florida residents. The total also includes a small number of Florida residents who tested positive in other states.

DeSantis also ordered all incoming air passengers from the New York City area to self-quarantine and report their contacts with Florida residents. The governor expanded the order Tuesday to include travelers who arrived up to three weeks ago.

With 491 cases, Miami-Dade County has the most confirmed cases of any of Florida's 67 counties. Nearby Broward County, which has a much smaller population than Miami-Dade, has 412 cases.

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Palm Beach County, which is just north of Broward County, has 141 cases.

Related:

• FL Expands Coronavirus Order Targeting NY, NJ, CT Travelers
• President Trump Declares Major Disaster In FL From Coronavirus
• Florida Coronavirus: Special Grocery Shopping Hours For Seniors

In an attempt to provide as much information to our readers as possible, Patch is publishing a county-by-county breakdown of the coronavirus cases in Florida's 67 counties, along with the average age of patients and the number of travel-related cases by county: