CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Florida has reported 21,683 new cases of COVID-19, the state's highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic, according to federal health data released Saturday.
The state reached the new record as it become a new epicenter for the virus, accounting for around a fifth of all new cases in the U.S.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has resisted mandatory mask mandates and vaccine requirements, and along with the Florida Legislature, has limited local officials' ability to impose measures meant to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday showed how quickly the number of cases is rising in the Sunshine State. Only a day earlier, Florida reported 17,093 new daily cases.
The previous peak in Florida had been 19,334 cases reported on Jan. 7.
