Rising Cases in Florida Prompting Leaders to Urge Orange County Residents to Stay Home

Nationwide, states and counties are seeing a sharp rise in positive COVID-19 cases, prompting more travel advisories and in the case of California, regional stay-at-home orders and stricter guidance on dining.

New Health and Safety Sign in Downtown Disney

In Florida, Orange County, where Disney World primarily resides, is also seeing a surge in positive cases in the last week alone, according to WFTV9.

Hospitalizations in Orange County have nearly doubled since late October. Statewide, Florida recently reported 11,335 new cases, a record high since July. As a result, Orange County health officer Dr. Raul Pino is urging residents to “skip the big family gatherings this Christmas and avoid the risk of contracting the virus.”

Health Signs

Dr. Pino noted that “the surge we’re seeing is from people not following CDC guidelines. We’re seeing small settings, multigenerational families, so it’s safe to say that’s the same as Thanksgiving celebrations.” He mentioned that contact tracers were able to pinpoint many of these cases to gatherings over the Thanksgiving holiday.