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Florida health officials reported 615 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, Sunday, bringing the statewide total to 36,078 cases. The latest update from…

State health officials reported 5,737 COVID-19 cases and 120 deaths, Monday. Currently more than two million people in Florida have received the vaccine including more than 1.3 million people who have received a first dose and nearly 694,000 people who have completed the series with two doses.Lee Health received 1,000 vaccine doses this week, primarily for people under 65 years old who are at higher risk from the virus. In Sarasota County, 7,000 vaccine doses will be administered this week primarily to people 65 and older who are awaiting a first dose.Physicians say even people who have contracted COVID-19 should get the vaccine because it remains unclear how long the vaccine provides immunity and because a second infection of the virus can be more severe.Also, there are several efforts available to help seniors navigate Florida’s online vaccine appointment registration system.

A lawsuit challenging Governor Ron DeSantis’ ban on school districts imposing mask mandates for students is expected to conclude today. Lee Health reported a new record high of 641 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, Tuesday. Lee Health has reached 98% of staffed operational capacity and could soon begin seeing patients in traditionally non-treatment areas like cafeterias.Doctors are urging pregnant patients to get a COVID-19 vaccine and hoping the FDA’s full approval of the Pfizer vaccine will help people overcome vaccine hesitancy.The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is not taking action against staff who knowingly spread COVID-19 by coming to work, despite a positive test and symptoms.Disney is requiring union workers to get vaccinated or lose their jobs.

Books on LGBTQ+ topics are currently being restricted in schools across Florida due to proposed legislation. Educators share how access to similar books helped them understand their sexual identities growing up.

State health officials reported 2,238 new COVID-19 cases, Monday, increasing the statewide total to 602,829 cases.The Florida Department of Health also reported 72 new coronavirus-related deaths, Aug. 24, bringing the statewide death toll to 10,534 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.

State Health officials reported 2,378 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the weekend for a statewide total of 45,588 cases.The Florida Department of Health reported 98 new coronavirus-related deaths since Friday morning, bringing Florida’s death toll to 1,973 fatalities.The total number of hospitalizations related to virus now stands at 8,230 patients, including all people who have been hospitalized and not just those who are currently receiving treatment.

We are all connected by the environment we share. The Earth is our home. This is the space where we share the environmental stories that caught our attention this week, in Florida and beyond.

Ranked Choice Voting allows voters the option to rank candidates in a race in order of their preference, rather than simply selecting one candidate in the kind of system most of us are familiar with which is known as plurality voting. If a candidate receives more than half of the first choices in the first round, that candidate wins outright, just like in any other election. But, if there is no majority winner after counting the first choices, the race is decided by an instant runoff.

A popular photo of a female Florida panther, with her kitten trailing behind, is set to be the third image featured on the state’s “Protect the Panther” specialty vehicle tag.The picture was taken in 2018 by famed National Geographic photographer Carlton Ward Jr. on the Babcock Ranch, which is about 15 miles north of Fort Myers and just north of the Caloosahatchee River when the panther duo tripped one of his remote cameras.

State health officials reported 4,237 new COVID-19 cases and 32 deaths on Monday. The latest single-day positivity rate reported by the state Division of Emergency Management increased to 10.84%, which is the highest reported since Jan. 28.More than eight million people in Florida have been vaccinated including more than 2.9 million who have received a first dose and more than 5.1 million people who have completed the series.Lee Health is now offering COVID-19 vaccine dose appointments to any Floridian 18 or older. The Health system is encouraging more people to get the vaccine and to continue following CDC guidelines as hospitalizations have increased in recent weeks.FEMA-run vaccine sites in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa are now offering Pfizer vaccine doses with no appointment necessary.The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday that Florida’s unemployment rate was unchanged in March, remaining at 4.7%. The jobs report indicates a slight uptick in the number of people deemed out of work, as the hospitality industry continues to lag in job growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Eight workers with a Sarasota-based tax preparation business have been arrested on coronavirus relief fraud charges. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office says they filed 114 fraudulent applications in an effort to receive more than $319,000 in federal CARES Act funding. Another Florida man alleged to have received more than $7.2 million in pandemic relief funds was arrested on an international warrant in Croatia.