The United States is in the midst of a COVID-19 surge and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its largely being driven by the Delta variant, which is responsible for about eight of every 10 new cases. According to data from Johns Hopkins University the average number of daily new infections over the past week has stood at more than 32,000 cases, marking a 66% increase from the average daily new infection rate the previous week and a 145% jump from two weeks ago.
COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are also on the rise.
More than 1/5 of these new cases have been diagnosed in Florida. We explore what local hospitals are experiencing with Dr. Timothy Dougherty, Medical Director of the Emergency Department in Lee Health’s Cape Coral Hospital. We’re also exploring the role public policy in Florida may be playing in the current surge with Dr. Marissa Levine, Professor of Public Health Practice and Family Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Public Health.
