Florida reports 1,533 new COVID-19 cases, after weekend of cleaning data
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida’s Department of Health on Monday reported 1,533 new cases of COVID-19 and 48 additional deaths after a weekend of cleaning the data.
Monday’s number represents a drop-off in deaths and new cases. Florida had been averaging about 2,400 cases and 90 deaths per day on the state reports.
The newly reported data comes after Florida health officials announced Saturday they were delaying the release of the coronavirus report because a laboratory on Friday night dumped about 400,000 test results that had previously been submitted. The data dump damaged the ability to accurately process the state’s much-watched pandemic data.
Initially, officials blamed the problem on a private company called Helix Laboratory, saying it would take time to “de-duplicate” the results. On Sunday, health officials re-reported Friday’s numbers along with Saturday’s numbers.
But Monday, the Florida Department of Health changed its previous explanation and said the private