Florida is averaging 154 deaths from COVID per day, up from last week's average of 88 per day, and the state reported 151,764 new cases this week, according to Friday data.
In Texas, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 cases is increasing faster than at any other point since the pandemic began in early 2020. In Houston, some hospitals are operating under "internal disaster" codes, meaning ambulances are being diverted because its emergency department has too many acutely ill patients, according to local outlets.
► Lila Hartley, a 12-year-old middle schooler in Florida, is making headlines for standing up to her local school board and asking for a mask mandate. She's vaccinated, but her 10-year-old brother is not yet eligible for a shot. "I am so worried that if masks are not required, my brother could go to school one day and the next, be dying in the hospital," Lila said.
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