Florida posts highest single-day number of new COVID-19 cases since September

Figures released Wednesday showed more than 20,000 Floridians tested positive for the coronavirus in a single day for the first time since early September.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 20,194 new cases were added since Tuesday's report, bringing the state's total to 3,799,661.

That's the most new cases recorded in one day since Sept. 1. It also came a day after the state added more than 10,000 cases (12,915 on Tuesday) for the first time since Sept. 21.

While the cases were recorded in the last few days, they may have occurred in recent weeks or months.

Hospital officials across the state are reportingthat the rapid spread of the omicron variant is playing a role in the increasing numbers.

Florida has added almost 106,000 new cases this month, after two months with fewer than 100,000 cases.

Hospitalizations where COVID-19 is the primary reason also jumped by 206 to 1,849 Wednesday. That's up more than 18 percent in the last week.

In addition, 314 COVID-19 patients are in the ICU, just over five percent of Florida's staffed ICU beds.

Deaths were unchanged at 62,264.

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