The latest COVID-19 updates from the USA TODAY Network — Florida team.
Here’s a look at the top COVID-19 stories from around the state. Want to see more top stories of the day? To stay connected with our comprehensive coverage of COVID-19 in Florida, sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter. Public health experts and pediatricians said last fall that the most important factor to consider when deciding whether to start classes in-person was the amount of viral spread in the community at large. Most Florida children are returning to school in areas where COVID-19 outbreaks are far more intense than they were when school started in 2020. In most counties, cases are at least four times higher than a year ago, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. Five counties report a more than tenfold increase. Read the full story: As kids return to school, most Florida counties report COVID cases four times higher than last year A Leon County circuit judge has scheduled a hearing Friday in a lawsuit filed by parents challenging an executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that seeks to prevent school districts from requiring students to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story: Judge to weigh challenge to Ron DeSantis‘ order making masks optional in schools Meanwhile, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran is investigating Leon County District Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna and School Board chair Joy Bowen for not complying with Gov.
