FAU

There are currently no active cases on any FAU campuses. 

On July 28, the FAU administration sent out an email encouraging the community to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “Being vaccinated can protect your health and you are likely to avoid disruptions in your semester if you are exposed to COVID-19,” the email read. 

Palm Beach County

Today, PBC announced that it will be reinstating mask mandates in public buildings and transportation starting on Monday.

PBC’s daily average of new cases was 569 this week, a 188% increase from the previous 14 days. Currently, 50% of the county population is fully vaccinated.

Statewide

Florida has had a daily average of 14,209 new cases this week, a 153% increase from the previous 14 days. On average, 47.1 people died per day this week as a result of the coronavirus. The population’s vaccination rate has risen slightly to 49%. 

According to the Associated Press, Florida alone has made up a fifth of the new cases across the country and the surge is approaching last summer’s numbers. 

This week, the CDC announced its new recommendations due to the Delta variant, which is more contagious, and increasing case numbers. It’s now recommended that individuals who are fully vaccinated wear their masks in public indoor settings and “areas of substantial or high transmission.”

It was also recommended that fully vaccinated individuals wear masks in public indoor settings regardless of transmission levels if they are immunocompromised, are at an increased risk for disease, or share a household with someone who is immunocompromised.

The CDC now recommends universal masking indoors for all teachers, staff, students, and school visitors regardless of their vaccination status.

Miami-Dade County announced that the mask mandate will be reinstated within public facilities. Broward County voted to reinstate the mask mandate for public school students this fall. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he plans to sign legislation striking down the mandate, which would give parents and students the freedom to ignore the requirement. 

Gillian Manning is the Editor-in-Chief for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, tweet her @gillianmanning_ or email [email protected].