Florida

The state is part of a new CDC-funded program that will help communities predict COVID-19 surges by analyzng sewage.

The president called out the Florida governor for such things as blocking school districts from requiring students to wear masks. DeSantis replied that "these interventions have failed time and time again."

The figures were released by federal officials. The records for new daily cases had stood since January and for hospitalizations since July 2020.

It's urging universal mask use with children under 12 unable to receive a vaccine and cases rising in Florida.

It was the eighth straight day the CDC said Florida's daily total was above 12,000 cases, and was the highest daily amount since January.

The CDC's HIV surveillance report uses the most recent data, collected from 2015 to 2019. Hillsborough and Pinellas counties were identified as particular areas of concern nationally.

Said one health official: “Now that it has a foothold in Florida, it's just a matter of time before it becomes dominant. So it’s very concerning.”

Despite a hearts-and-minds campaign and millions spent in incentives, facilities struggle to get staffs vaccinated against COVID. Some are met with hesitancy, resignations or, in some cases, lawsuits.

The CDC's tracker shows Florida has at least 72 cases of the variant as of June 15. The variant is considered more likely to cause severe illness in unvaccinated people.

Attorney General Ashley Moody says her office respects “the ruling and authority of the court” but defended her involvement in the suit, saying “my office will always push back on any federal overreach."