Florida has reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases per day for eight out of the last nine days, and the state's total now stands at more than 69,000, according to the Palm Beach Post.
On June 11, the state reported a record-high 1,698 new COVID-19 cases, after nearly nine days of more than 1,000 new cases reported. The only day the state reported fewer than 1,000 cases was June 8, when 966 new cases were reported.
The state is averaging 1,173 new cases a day in June, the Palm Beach Post reports, and up until June 11, the highest single day jump in cases occurred April 3, when the state reported 1,575. In April, the state was averaging 912 new cases per day.
Gov. Ron DeSantis attributed the rise in numbers to an increase in testing.
"People are going to say, 'Oh my gosh, there are more cases!'" he said at a news conference June 8. "Don't mistake identifying more cases for thinking that there are more cases one day compared to two months ago."
Cindy Prins, PhD, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville, told the Palm Beach Post that the increase in cases could be linked to the governor reopening some businesses in May.