Although many health and safety measures have gone back to “normal” in Disney World and Universal Orlando, there has been a growing concern over the COVID-19 cases in the state of Florida over the past month.
Recently, health officials in Los Angeles county urged residents to “reconsider” travel to the state as the surge in cases has reached a point where 1 in 5 COVID-19 cases are being reported from Florida. And, as numbers continue to grow, Orange County Mayor Demings has shared an update on the current case rate.
During a recent press conference, Mayor Demings reported that they are seeing nearly 1,000 new cases in Orange County (which Disney World is located in) each day, which is comparable to the numbers that were being reported at the highest peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. And, according to Demings, the county has reached “crisis mode.”
As of Saturday, July 24th, the Orange County 14-day rolling positivity rate was 13.96%, which is more than three times the rate compared to just one month ago (which was 4.28%). And, the majority of the positive cases (over 90%) are from unvaccinated people who are contracting the Delta variant.
The Chief Medical Officer of AdventHealth, Dr. Herrara, also spoke during the conference, reporting that they are seeing a “significant increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19” and are nearing an all-time high in terms of in-patient numbers. And, with the increase in cases just this past week, they expect to see even more of an increase in hospitalizations in the next two weeks.
Currently, Mayor Demings is unable to institute an emergency order or COVID-19 restrictions due to state laws, though Demings is still exploring “the potential for the efficacy and the legality of instituting any type of mask mandate.”
For now, Demings urges residents to get vaccinated in the hopes of increasing the vaccination rate in Orange County beyond the current 61.59% of residents 12+ who have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. And, he still strongly recommends that everyone (regardless of vaccination status) return to wearing face masks indoors when unable to appropriately distance themselves from others.
Keep in mind that Disney World and Universal Orlando have not altered their health and safety measures and face masks are still optional for all guests when indoors and outdoors. And, any mandates from Orange County would not necessarily impact these policies.
Of course, we will continue to keep an eye out for more updates as this is a developing story, so be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest!
Check out 6 Things That Quietly Returned to Normal in Disney World
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90% of cases were unvaccinated people. Hmmmmm… Perhaps the unvaccinated should mask up to protect themselves. They are vulnerable to covid (in general) and the delta variant. Going on the honor system isn’t working. Florida may have to ask for vaccination cards which is violating medical privacy. Does anybody have the perfect answer? The unvaccinated need to turn off the politicians and discuss it with their doctor and make an informed decision. Please don’t ask me to wear a mask again.