Covid-19 coronavirus: Florida tops a million confirmed cases

An Orange County Fire Rescue worker gives out disposable masks and hand sanitiser free to small businesses in Orlando, Florida. Photo / AP

Florida has joined Texas and California as American states surpassing one million confirmed Covid-19 cases.

Its governor has vowed not to adopt any further restrictions or impose closures like those enacted earlier this year.

Hospitalisations have also climbed in the state with 4261 Covid-19 patients, up from 4139 tallied yesterday.

The figure is still less than half what hospitals saw in late July, but it has steadily climbed since October after plateauing at about 2000 hospitalisations daily for weeks following the surge of the virus during the northern summer.

The state's health department today reported 82 new virus deaths, raising the toll in the third-most populous state to at least 18,942 since the beginning of the pandemic.

While vaccines could arrive as early as this month, officials say it will be March at the earliest before most people can receive the treatment.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said today on Twitter that the priority for the allocation of the new vaccines should be to residents of long-term care facilities who are "by far the most likely demographic to die with Covid."

- AP