Florida broke its single-day record for new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as the omicron variant continues to drive a surge in infections.
The state reported 31,758 cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database on Thursday. The previous high was 27,669 in August when the delta variant swept the state.
The statewide positivity rate rose to 13.8 percent for the week, up from 5.3 percent the week prior.
The country has seen several COVID-19 records broken as omicron has become the dominant strain over the last month.
Early research suggests that the new variant has caused less severe illness than strains, at least for fully vaccinated individuals.
More than 70 percent of Floridians over the age of 5 are fully vaccinated.
“After the holidays I suspect we will have a very busy week,” said Randy Katz, associate district medical director of emergency services for Memorial Healthcare System in Broward. “I do think we have another week or two before we really peak and then see the numbers come down.”
The uptick has led to long lines at testing sites, canceling of flights, outbreaks on cruises and changes in hospital visitation rules.
In all, Florida has recorded at least 3,864,288 confirmed COVID cases and 62,347 deaths.