As the state of Florida sees a rise in COVID-19 cases, an 11-year-old boy has become the youngest person to succumb to coronavirus complications, as reported by CNN.
According to the Florida Department of Health, the boy, who was from Miami-Dade County and whose name has not been revealed, is the third minor to die from COVID-19 in Florida. The department also stated that the child had severe underlying health conditions.
Prior to that, a 16-year-old girl of Lee County and a 17-year-old boy of Pasco County both passed away after contracting the fast-spreading disease. As of July 3, more than 7,000 minors have been infected with COVID-19 in Florida. Cases of patients from 25 to 34 years of age account for 20% of the total cases in the state.
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People between the ages of 15 to 24 account for 16% of Florida’s cases, and patients between ages 5 and 14 account for only 3%.
This news comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis reports that the average age of coronavirus cases has dropped from 65 to a median of 37 years of age.
Florida is seeing a surge of coronavirus cases as of late. On July 2, there were 10,109 new positive tests reported, which is a record for new daily cases. A Johns Hopkins University data analysis indicates that the Sunshine State is leading the country in average number of new cases per day.
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As of now, over 169,000 Floridians have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those infected, over 3,600 people have lost their lives.
Despite the uptick in coronavirus cases in the state, DeSantis stated that he is not going to halt plans for reopening the state.
“We’re not going back, closing things,” DeSantis said Tuesday. “I mean, people going to business is not what’s driving it. I think when you see the younger folks, I think a lot of it is just more social interactions and so that’s natural.”
DeSantis continued with a message to Floridians: “You have a responsibility not to come into close contact with folks who could be more vulnerable.”
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