JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — COVID cases in Florida are on the rise. From June to July, there has been a statewide a 103 percent increase in people testing positive. In Duval County, anywhere from 800 to 1000 new cases each week.
First Coast News spoke with an infection prevention expert who says in Duval from June to July, there has been a 50% increase in the number of people testing positive for COVID.
For those who are at high risk of catching the disease, say they’re concerned about these recent numbers.
“Yeah we may not hear much about covid right now but it is still very much out there," said Latonya Harris, who recently had a kidney transplant. She’s doing all she can to protect herself from catching COVID.
“My immune system is very compromised right now. So, I am already on restrictions right now because of the kidney transplant and it’s so recent I had to be very cautious with everything," Harris said.
We spoke to Infection Prevention Expert Chad Neilsen about the numbers here in Duval County.
“We were averaging somewhere between five and seven hundred cases each week in the month of June, and it has now jumped to 800 to 1000 cases of COVID per week in July the past several weeks," Neilsen said.
Neilson says the reason for the numbers going up could be the time of year, with people traveling and the heat.
“Maybe that’s because people are spending more time indoors as the weather heats up. Similar to winter, as more people are indoors to avoid the cold. So, there’s certainly some part of this that is due to social, behavioral characteristics," Neilsen said.
The CDC is also testing wastewater- and found 32 sites in Florida tested positive for COVID.