As several states plan the reopening of their economies and public spaces, Florida — one of the last states to implement statewide stay-at-home orders — passed the 1,000 death toll mark today, according to The Miami Herald.
Miami-Dade county, located in the southeastern part of the state, has the highest death toll throughout the state.
The Florida Department of Health records 1,012 Floridians have lost their lives due to the coronavirus, and there are more than 30,000 positive cases in the state. This figure becomes difficult to clarify, however, as new research found that approximately 165,000 Miami-Dade residents, or 6 percent of the population, have antibodies present in their blood that indicate exposure or a past infection to the coronavirus.
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The study was conducted using a random sample of county residents to undergo an antibody test as a way of detecting how rampant the coronavirus spread throughout the community. These results indicate the current case count in both the county and the state could be underestimated.
Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez reviewed the findings on Friday, and stated that the results will inform the county’s decisions on how to safely reopen public spaces.
“Whatever measures we’re going to do to open up, especially the outdoor spaces, is going to be done with those measures in mind,” Gimenez said. “You’re not going to be able to get close. You’re going to have social distancing.”
Statewide, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will review a plan for the state to reopen as recommended by the Re-Open Florida Task Force. Some spaces, such as beaches in Jacksonville, Sarasota and St. Johns County, however, have already been reopened with social distancing measures still being enforced.
Other states, including Georgia and South Carolina, have reopened beaches and nonessential businesses as well.
Across the country, the U.S. hit the grim milestone of 50,000 deaths due to coronavirus infections.
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This article was updated for accuracy on April 27, 2020 at 2:45 pm.
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