New York records over 1,000 coronavirus cases in a day since June

More than 1,000 New Yorkers have tested positive for COVID-19 in a single day for the first time since June 5 the state has seen a daily number that high.

The number of positive tests reported daily in the state has been steadily inching up in recent weeks, possibly because more businesses have been reopening and students have been returning to schools and college campuses.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday there were 1,005 positive cases tallied on Friday out of 99,953 tests, for a 1 per cent positive rate.

From late July through the start of September, the state had an average of around 660 people test positive per day. In the seven-day period that ended Friday, it averaged 817 positive tests per day.

That number of daily positive tests in a state of more than 19 million people still puts New York in a much better position than many other states.

And it is better than the situation in the state in April, when the number of positive tests per day routinely topped 9,000 even though tests then were hard to get and people were being encouraged not to seek one unless they were gravely ill.

Florida reported 107 new coronavirus deaths on Saturday, a day after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he was lifting restrictions on restaurant capacity.

The state also reported 2,795 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing its total since the pandemic began to just under 699,000. Overall, 14,190 people have died in Florida during the pandemic, including 168 non-residents.

There were 2,109 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Saturday morning, or 26 fewer than the day before. Florida has had the third-most confirmed COVID-19 cases of any state, trailing only two larger states, California and Texas.

On Friday, DeSantis issued an order allowing restaurants throughout the state to immediately reopen at full capacity. The order prevents cities and counties from ordering them to close or to operate at less than half-capacity unless they can justify a closure for economic or health reasons.

DeSantis also banned local fines against people who refuse to wear masks.

Alaska health officials say the state's COVID-19 death toll has risen by six, which is the biggest one-day jump for the state since the pandemic began.

The state also reported 128 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday, which was the most recent available data.

The deaths include three men in their 60s, one man in his 50s and two men in their 70s. The state previously reported a high of four deaths, on Aug. 25.

Alaska has had 8,202 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 52 deaths from the disease since the pandemic started.