Florida again breaks single-day record for new coronavirus cases with more than 10,000
02 July 2020
The Florida Department of Health reported 10,109 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the state's highest single-day increase yet, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
Why it matters: The massive surge in new cases comes just days after the state broke its previous record and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said the government will not reinstate restrictions or again close businesses to prevent the virus' spread.
- The number of new cases in Florida has grown by over 100% since June 23. It only reported 2,610 cases on June 17.
- Florida has now recorded a total of 169,106 cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. It also reported 67 deaths Thursday, bringing its total death toll to 3,617.
Where it stands: Florida's current phase of reopening does not put a limit on how many visitors can be in stores or gyms and allows bars to serve half as many guests as they normally would, although the state has suspended on-premises consumption of alcohol at bars. Social distancing is encouraged at all businesses.
Go deeper: Florida mayor urges people to forgo "private house parties"
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.