Florida Earns Dubious Honor in Ever-Changing Coronavirus Saga

It appears as though the second wave of coronavirus has arrived, and, if it hasn’t, then this devastating reverberation may only be weeks away.

While the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is indeed a novel and unique strain, it is still a virus, and thus our medical experts do have some knowledge about how the illness will behave.

That being said, we have been warned from day one that the second wave could be far more deadly and dangerous than the first, as has been the precedent set by historical pandemics of years’ past.  That means, as much as Americans don’t want to hear it, we could be in for a lonely and socially-distanced summer.

To make matter worse, one of the east coast’s most tourist-friendly locales has just become the epicenter of the virus, globally.

Florida surpassed its previous one-day record for coronavirus deaths Tuesday and Britain and France announced they will require people to wear masks in public indoor spaces, amid rising global fears about a resurgence of the pandemic.

Florida reported 132 additional deaths, topping the previous record for the state set just last week. The figure likely includes deaths from the past weekend that had not been previously reported.

Even so, the new deaths raised Florida’s seven-day average to 81 per day, more than double the figure of two weeks ago and now the second-highest in the United States behind Texas. Doctors have predicted a surge in deaths as Florida’s daily reported cases have gone from about 2,000 a day a month ago to over 12,000.

Florida was one of the first states to reopen after the first wave of coronavirus pounded New York City, and worked to entice several major sports leagues to utilize the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando in order to continue with their abbreviated seasons.

If the Sunshine State can’t get it together, there’s no telling if we’ll see any champions crowned this year.