Florida reported another 4,049 coronavirus cases Saturday, yet another record-shattering increase as the number of infections statewide approaches 94,000.

There have now been 93,797 cases and 3,144 deaths in the state, which includes an additional 40 fatalities reported Saturday compared with a day earlier.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office has attributed the recent daily spikes in cases to expanded testing. On Saturday, another 28,404 tests were logged for a total of over 1.5 million statewide since the pandemic began.

As new coronavirus cases surge across several southern states, Republican governors are looking to apportion blame – and resting upon some familiar targets.

In Florida, migrant Hispanic farm and construction workers are driving the huge uptick in Covid-19 infections, according to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has repeatedly identified the immigrant workforce as the “No 1” source of outbreaks in the Sunshine state.

Day laborers contracting the disease are “overwhelmingly Hispanic”, DeSantis said, and migrant in nature, adding that he had given a “heads-up” to health authorities in Georgia and Alabama about “what might be coming down the pike”.

DeSantis’s racially charged comments have been blasted as “shameful” by agricultural workers’ union leaders, who say the state has been lethargic in providing tests and resources to slow the spread. On Saturday, daily new cases in Florida surpassed 4,000 for the first time.
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PHOENIX — The Arizona health department reported more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time Friday morning.

With 3,246 new COVID-19 cases, the state’s total increased to 46,689. The health department also reported 41 additional fatalities, increasing the death toll to 1,312.

The previous single-day high for cases was 2,519 reported a day earlier.

The Arizona Department of Health Services has been providing case and testing updates on its website each morning. The dashboard includes, among other information, testing trends, updated hospital capacity and a ZIP Code map of cases.

The daily reports present data after the state receives statistics and compiles them, which can lag by several days. They aren’t meant to represent the actual activity over the past 24 hours.

The number of cases reported in Arizona has been rising at a faster rate than testing has increased, indicating community spread, since the state’s stay-at-home order expired last month.

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Overall hospital bed usage remained at a pandemic high of 85% on Thursday for the third consecutive day, and the percentage of ICU beds in use remained at a high point of 84% for the second consecutive day.

On May 15, the day the state’s stay-at-home order expired, inpatient bed usage was at 74% and ICU bed usage was at 72%.

Of the state’s 1,396 ICU beds filled Thursday, 519 were used for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, down from 540 the previous day. Only 268 of the state’s current ICU bed supply remained unused.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A Valley man says he didn't take COVID-19 seriously, hit the bars with a friend and is now in the hospital battling the virus.

Jimmy Flores, 30, told ABC15 he has been at Banner Baywood for three days after testing positive for coronavirus last week.

"Right before going to the hospital, I was dying in my room," he said. "Couldn't breathe."

He shared his story with the hope it resonates with other people his age.

"I did not take it seriously at all," Flores said. "Now that I have this, I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

Flores told ABC15 he met up with a friend on Saturday, June 6. He said the two went to a bar in Old Town Scottsdale and then to another bar further north in the city. COVID-19 was not a concern.

A Republican sheriff in Arizona who said he would not enforce the state's emergency coronavirus orders has come down with COVID-19.

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb announced on Facebook on Wednesday that he had tested positive, likely from attending a campaign event on Saturday. He says he found out when he was called on Tuesday to meet with President Trump at the White House and was screened for the virus.

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Lamb did not immediately return a message left with his office on Wednesday; this story will be updated if he calls back.

Lamb was not the only Republican sheriff who said he would not enforce Governor Doug Ducey's emergency orders in April. Mohave County Sheriff Douglas Schuster and Gila County Sheriff Adam Shepherd, like Lamb, said they would advise people of the recommendations, but would not arrest people or shut down a business for violations.

On Wednesday, citing the spike in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, Governor Doug Ducey said he would allow local jurisdictions to make their own mandatory health rules.