Blue-green algae are once again invading Doctors Lake, leaving parts of the lake looking bright green.

A woman who founded a program in Jacksonville to teach children and adults how to swim for free said a new state law will prevent more children from drowning.

New measles cases in Florida prompted concern for a Jacksonville doctor as the state now has 10 confirmed cases, according to Florida Health data.

A recent death has brought new attention to the so-called Alaskapox virus.

The state of Tennessee has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a federal lawsuit by its former vaccine leader over her firing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Florida will provide COVID-19 data to the public again after a former Democratic state representative settled a lawsuit with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration over the decision two years ago to stop sharing information on the virus’ spread online.

COVID-19 cases are steadily rising in Florida. The state Department of Health’s latest report confirms a 29.7% uptick in positive cases… that’s nearly a 7% increase from last week.

The Department of Health in Clay County will be offering immunization services from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday, from Thursday through Aug. 17 at the Clay County Fairgrounds.

Standing behind a podium with a sign that read “Prescribe Freedom,” Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke Thursday morning about his administration’s efforts during the pandemic, then he signed four health care-related bills from the recent legislative session.

Documents show that top Tennessee health officials attempted to oust Planned Parenthood from a program designed to prevent and treat HIV before deciding to forgo federal funding for it.

News4JAX ran a statement from Florida’s surgeon general through the Trust Index after Twitter flagged the state Department of Health’s new anti-vaccine guidance as misinformation.

Everyone in Britain who is 50 or over will be offered a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine in the fall, lowering the age threshold from the previously announced 65.

Florida has topped 74,000 COVID-19 cases in each of the past two weeks, while more than 75,000 residents have died from the virus since the pandemic started, according to a report released Friday by the state Department of Health.

This Saturday will be the final Saturday of COVID-19 testing at the state-run Emmett Reed testing and vaccination site, the city of Jacksonville announced.

Duval County Public Schools on Friday sent an email to parents of students, informing them that the Department of Health in Duval has announced it will no longer conduct contact tracing of positive COVID-19 cases in schools.

Puerto Rico is imposing new measures to fight a surge in COVID-19 cases that has overwhelmed medical staff in the U.S. territory and led to temporary shortages of testing kits.

Tulane University in New Orleans is delaying the start of its spring semester because of the latest surge in coronavirus cases, and another private school says students must get booster shots before returning.

Lab testing has confirmed a COVID-19 case involving the omicron variant in Minnesota, state health officials said Thursday.

Food and diapers in all sizes will be available for those in need.

The state and six school districts called their final witnesses Friday in an administrative hearing over the state’s school COVID-19 policies.

Florida senators asked COVID-related questions and got few answers Wednesday from both the state Department of Health and the Agency for Health Care Administration.

More than 100 Florida entities, including businesses, municipalities and event venues, are under review with the Department of Health after being reported for asking patrons to prove they were vaccinated before providing access to their location or services.

Florida has gone six straight days with fewer than 4,000 new COVID-19 cases and the Department of Health’s weekly increase was only 25,792 -- down nearly one-third from last week and the smallest 7-day increase since the second week of July.

On Friday, Florida Agriculture Commission Fried called on the White House to continue backfilling school district budgets to make up for financial sanctions about to be imposed by the commissioner of education.

Florida’s Department of Health reported 37,772 new COVID-19 cases over the past week, the smallest weekly total since the first week of July.

Nothing was mentioned about a timeline to actually get a license issued in Thursday’s meeting.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has asked an appeals court to block challenges filed by five school boards against a Department of Health rule aimed at preventing students from being forced to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state Department of Health added 75,906 new COVID-19 cases this week, bringing the state’s total to nearly 3.5 million since the pandemic began. But deaths from the August surge continue to rise.

This week, county-level COVID-19 deaths statistics have been made available for the first time since Florida shut down its daily COVID-19 dashboard in June.

In a letter sent to Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, the Duval County School Board said it chose to put in place a mask mandate for students with a medical opt out after 11 school district employees died and more than 1,600 cases were reported in schools over the first three weeks.

Florida’s Department of Health late Friday reported 150,118 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, a slight decrease from the 151,468 new cases in the state a week earlier, but the statewide positivity rate rose for a ninth straight week, reaching 19.8%.

U.S. health authorities are expected to recommend an extra COVID-19 vaccine dose for Americans eight months after they get their second shot.

For the first time since the Florida daily COVID dashboard was taken down in June, Gov. DeSantis has indicated it might be a good idea to start daily reporting again.

Jacksonville residents lined up for hours outside the Department of Health’s Springfield facility Friday despite scorching temperatures, saying they had no choice: they need to get tested for COVID-19.

Long lines continued Thursday in Springfield at the Central Health Plaza for people to be tested for COVID-19.

Middle and high school students and their families are invited to a free drive-thru dental clinic Friday in Interlachen.

Two Tennessee Republican lawmakers have said they received assurance that the state Department of Health won’t vaccinate children for COVID-19 without parental consent.

Aiming to dispel concerns about surging COVID-19 infections, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday defended the state’s efforts to combat the spread of the deadly disease.

The largest of the Navajo Nation casinos is preparing to reopen for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.

After the Florida Supreme Court upheld the state’s seed-to-sale medical marijuana model, the Department of Health is preparing to issue 15 new treatment center licenses.

The Duval County health department announced Thursday it has been selected to receive a $6.5 million federal grant to address health disparities among high-risk populations in Jacksonville.

Florida just changed how it reports COVID-19 cases, deaths, testing rates and vaccination data from daily to weekly, calling it a transition from an emergency response to a more traditional public health response.

About five months after shots began, more than 10 million people in Florida have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to a report released Sunday by the state Department of Health.

With an additional 71 deaths reported Friday, Florida hit a total of 36,000 resident deaths from COVID-19. An additional 719 non-residents have also died in the state, according to the state Department of Health.

JaxPort is hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for port workers and the general public.

The Governor’s Office and the Department of Health are pushing back against claims of disproportionate outcomes for Black residents in Florida.

Australia says it has finalized a deal to buy an extra 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine as it rapidly pivots away from its earlier plan to rely mainly on the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Biden administration is unveiling a coalition of community, religious and celebrity partners to promote COVID-19 shots as it seeks to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

ORLANDO, Fla. – They’re called COVID-19 breakthrough cases: People who have been fully vaccinated yet still contract the virus more than 14 days after their second shot. Dr. Sunil Joshi, president of the Duval County Medical Foundation, compared the COVID-19 vaccine to the flu vaccine. She said she was shocked because she is also fully vaccinated. AdDr. Timothy Hendrix, with Advent Health, also pointed out that it is possible for someone who is fully vaccinated to still contract the virus. “I don’t think the public is aware that it doesn’t mean you’re not getting the virus, and it doesn’t mean you’re not getting sick.

A woman arrives for her first dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Friday, March 12, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. As millions continue to wait their turn for the COVID-19 vaccine, small but steady amounts of the precious doses have gone to waste across the country. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As millions continue to wait their turn for the COVID-19 vaccine, small but steady amounts of the precious doses have gone to waste across the country. AdBy comparison, waste of the COVID-19 vaccine appears to be quite small, though the U.S. government has yet to release numbers shedding insight on its extent. In Tennessee, wasted, spoiled or unused doses aren't publicly disclosed on the state's online COVID-19 vaccine dashboard. Ohio's health department reported 2,349 doses wasted or spoiled as of February.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Department of Health reported 6,014 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,924,114 since the pandemic reached the state just over one year ago. The state added 133 deaths on its dashboard -- 11 of those from Clay County and four in Jacksonville. At least 3,174,162 people have been vaccinated in Florida, with 1,773,638 people in the state getting both shots that are needed. In Jacksonville, 206,432 people in Duval County have received a shot, with 127,260 having both shots. According to the CDC, over 600 cases of COVID-19 variants have been verified in Florida, most of any state.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Department of Health reported 7,179 additional COVID-19 cases Tuesday -- the largest increase since Feb. 20 and well above the seven-day average of 5,662. Jacksonville added 173 new cases Tuesday, closer to its average of 159 daily cases for the past week. The positivity rate for coronavirus tests completed Monday was 5.69%. All the counties in Northeast Florida had a lower positivity rate than the state except Columbia and Flagler. According to the CDC, over 600 cases of COVID-19 variants have been verified in Florida, most of any state.

The state of Georgia had an uptick in its reported number of COVID-19 cases Tuesday compared with the day prior, but it marks the third day in a row the Department of Health added less than 1,800 people to its positive caseload. The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 1,793 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state on Tuesday. Georgia was reporting a total of 190,325 antigen positive cases and 2,271 “probable” deaths on Tuesday. (Note: There are variations in the day-to-day data reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health. At times, cases and deaths are removed from the overall running total reported by the Department of Public Health.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Department of Health confirmed 5,922 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and reported an additional 144 deaths attributed to the virus. The state has now verified 1,898,223 cases since the outbreak began and 31,162 deaths, according to health department data. For the first time in weeks, there were no deaths in Duval County in Friday’s report. FDOH did list three additional deaths in Nassau and Putnam counties and two more in St. Johns County. As of Friday afternoon, there were 3,864 people hospitalized in Flordia with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Department of Health confirmed 6,640 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday and reported an additional 140 resident deaths attributed to the virus. That brings the state to 1,892,301 cases since the outbreak reached Florida last March and 31,018 deaths, according to FDOH data. Florida and Duval County coronavirus cases since June 1There have been at least 78,744 resident hospitalizations attributed to the virus in the state. Florida last week reported its first confirmed case of the P.1 COVID-19 variant that was first detected in Brazil, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state has now verified 489 cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant that emerged from the United Kingdom -- by far the highest number for any state in the country.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Department of Health confirmed 7,128 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and reported an additional 127 resident deaths attributed to the virus. Ten of the deaths in the latest report were in Duval County and there were four more in Alachua County. That brings the state to 1,885,661 cases since the outbreak reached Florida last March and 30,878 deaths, according to FDOH data. The positivity rate in Jacksonville, Clay and St. Johns counties were all below 5%. The state has now verified 489 cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant that emerged from the United Kingdom -- by far the highest number for any state in the country.

A medical worker prepares a shot of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in a local rural medical post in the village of Ikhala in Russias Karelia region, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)MEXICO CITY — Mexico has received its first shipment of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. Mexico received its first shipment of vaccines from Pfizer in mid-December, but turned to Sputnik V in January when other expected vaccine shipments were delayed. The company reiterated that it will have capacity to provide 100 million vaccine doses to the U.S. by the end of June. ___WASHINGTON — The White House now says it expects to catch up by mid-week on deliveries of coronavirus vaccine doses that were delayed by severe weather.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Just over 11 months after the first deaths in Florida attributed to COVID-19, the Department of Health reported Friday that the state has surpassed 30,000 deaths attributed to the virus. The state has added 6,683 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, reaching 1,856,427 cases since the outbreak reached the state last March. According to the FDOH data, 29,692 residents and at least 522 more non-residents have died in Florida from COVID-19, bringing the combined total to 30,214. There were 12 additional deaths in Duval County reported on Friday, bringing the total to 1,075. Florida also reported its first confirmed case of the P.1 COVID variant that believed to have come from Brazil.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Citing “multiple cases of COVID-19,″ Fort Caroline Middle School is transitioning entirely to online learning through Duval HomeRoom beginning Thursday, according to a news release from the Duval County School District. A message sent to families of students from Principal Chelvert Wellington states that the school will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. AdAt 10 a.m., there will be laptop and Wi-Fi hotspot distribution at the north end of the parking lot. The principal sent families a bell schedule. As of Wednesday night at 8 p.m., the DCPS dashboard of confirmed COVID-19 cases shows 10 confirmed cases in students and two confirmed cases in staff members at the school.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida continues to see rates of new coronavirus infections below the peak seen early in the new year, but the number of deaths added to the Department of Health’s count on Tuesday continues to be among the state’s largest daily increases. Of 225 additional deaths reported by the state Tuesday, three were in Duval County, two were in Alachua County and there was one death each in Nassau and Putnam counties. There have now been 29,659 deaths of residents or visitors to Florida attributed to COVID-19 since last March. The 6,297 new cases of COVID-19 reported by the case on Tuesday bring the state’s total to 1,837,285. Of the new cases, 279 were in Duval County.

But with 159 additional deaths in Monday’s report, the number of people dying of COVID-19 each day continues to average in the triple digits as it has since before Christmas. Duval County reported only 122 new cases of the virus -- the lowest increase since Nov. 7 -- but there were 11 deaths in Monday’s report. There were also four deaths reported in Alachua and Putnam counties and two in Flagler County. The state has now verified 1,830,988 COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began and 29,434 deaths, according to health department data. Florida and Jacksonville daily COVID-19 casesThe percent of tests that returned positive results on Sunday was 6.83% statewide on Sunday.

(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)LONDON – England has begun house-by-house COVID-19 testing in some communities as authorities try to snuff out a new variant of the coronavirus before it spreads widely and undermines a nationwide vaccination program. Public health officials are concerned about the variant first identified in South Africa because it contains a mutation of the virus’ characteristic spike protein that existing vaccines target. No conclusive evidence has emerged to show the Kent variant causes more serious COVID-19 cases or deaths. In recent weeks, scientists also identified new, more contagious variants in South Africa and Brazil, both of which contained the spike protein mutation. AdIn hopes of preventing those variants from becoming widespread in Britain, the government has barred travel from South Africa, South America and Portugal, a popular European transit point for travelers from South America.

And Peru on Jan. 26 banned air traffic from Brazil; the governor of Peru’s Loreto department bordering Brazil called on the government to shut down land crossings, too. The clampdown comes as Manaus, the Amazon rainforest’s largest city and the site of the variant's outbreak, suffers a brutal second wave of infections. Other cities in Brazil’s Amazon region have been crushed since, including Porto Velho, capital of neighboring Rondonia state. Brazil’s former health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta told newspaper O Globo on Thursday that the new strain could cause a “mega-epidemic” across Brazil within 60 days. “There is no guarantee it won’t reach (Brazil’s) border with Venezuela, with Colombia, Suriname, Guyana,” Díaz Mirabal, who is of the Wakuenai Kurripako ethnicity, said in a Zoom call with reporters.

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2020, file photo, people line up for the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine at a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site outside St. Luke's Episcopal Church in the Bronx borough of New York. Data from some states has shown hard-hit nonwhite Americans who are eligible to get the vaccine are not receiving it in proportion to their share of the population. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, all of Massachusetts, say the agency must work with states, municipalities and private labs to collect and publish demographic data about vaccine recipients. Without that information, policymakers and health workers cannot efficiently identify vaccine disparities in the hardest-hit communities, the lawmakers say. Dr. Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a vaccine adviser to the U.S. government, on the slow and steady process of scaling up vaccine production.

Andrew Cuomo's administration confirmed Thursday that thousands more nursing home residents died of COVID-19 than the state's official tallies had previously acknowledged, dealing a potential blow to his image as a pandemic hero. “Families like mine knew these numbers were not correct.”Cuomo’s office referred all questions to the state health department. Zucker's figure of 12,743 nursing home resident deaths included for the first time 3,829 confirmed COVID-19 fatalities of those residents who had been transported to hospitals. Her investigators looked at a sample of 62 of the state’s roughly 600 nursing homes. They reported 1,914 deaths of residents from COVID-19, while the state Department of Health logged only 1,229 deaths at those same facilities.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New data from the Department of Health shows 45,056 people are overdue for the second shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. The Moderna vaccine requires a second shot 28 days after the first. Pfizer requires a second at 21 days, but the CDC is backpedaling those parameters, saying it’s OK to miss the recommended timeframe. It’s not clear why thousands have missed the second shot, including whether it was due to scheduling issues with the providing agency or the fault of the patient missing their appointment. According to the state’s vaccine dashboard, Florida has vaccinated 1,031,795 people, with only 93,258 having received both shots.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than 200 Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic started early last year, according to information released Wednesday by the state Department of Corrections and the state Department of Health. Also, six prison staff members have died of COVID-19, up one from last week. The Reception and Medical Center in Union County has been linked to 44 inmate deaths, while the South Florida Reception Center in Miami-Dade County has been linked to 24, according to a breakdown on the Florida Department of Health website. Union Correctional Institution has had 15 inmate deaths, while Columbia Correctional Institution and Dade Correctional Institution have each had 10. In all, 17,614 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the Florida Department of Corrections website.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It could take more than a year to vaccinate all Floridians based on the number of vaccine doses the state is currently receiving on a weekly basis. The timetable came to light as the Florida Surgeon General fielded tough questions from state senators. Testifying before the Senate Health Policy Committee, State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees said the COVID-19 vaccine supply isn’t meeting the demand. At that rate, it would take more than a year to vaccinate the general population, but Rivkees provided some hope for optimism. The state has received 1.6 million vaccine doses to date.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools has again made changes to its COVID-19 dashboard to improve the timeliness of reporting. This time, the changes have to do with the timing and manner in which the school district enters data in its dashboard. Starting Wednesday, the district began updating its Confirmed COVID-19 Case Dashboard as soon it is notified of cases and reports them to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). The Duval County Public Schools Confirmed COVID-19 Case Dashboard shows a spike in cases on Wednesday, which the district attributed to the dashboard changes. (Duval County Public Schools)The dashboard only reports DCPS employee or student cases impacting school operations.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It took nine months for Florida to reach 1 million cases of coronavirus. On Tuesday, just six weeks later, the Department of Health added 14,896 new COVID-19 cases, sending the state past 1.5 million cases. There were 949 new COVID-19 cases in Jacksonville reported Tuesday, 208 in St. Johns County, 169 in Clay County, 151 in Alachua County and 103 in Nassau County. There were 7,717 people hospitalized in Florida with COVID-19 on Tuesday afternoon, a jump of over 200 from Sunday. Alachua’s ICU availability was reported at 5.2%, Clay County had 10% of its ICU beds open, Flagler County was at 11.1% and Duval County’s was at 18.5%.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Florida began converting one of its major testing locations into a vaccination site and Gov. He called Wednesday a "soft opening” that will last a few days until the site opens to the regular public. More than 329,000 people have been vaccinated in Florida — or about 1.5% of the population — almost all of them either health care workers, residents in care homes, or people over the age of 65. “We believe putting seniors first is the right policy as a matter of public health,” DeSantis said. Florida followed federal recommendations in starting vaccinations first for front-line medical workers plus residents and staff of nursing homes in mid-December.

A microscopic image of the Hepatitis A virus, taken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida had a reported 1,009 hepatitis A cases in 2020, a major decrease from 2019, but significantly more than in most years, according to information posted on the state Department of Health website. Florida totaled 3,405 hepatitis A cases in 2019, when Surgeon General Scott Rivkees declared a public health emergency. Florida had 123 cases in 2015, 122 cases in 2016, 276 cases in 2017 and 548 cases in 2018, according to the Department of Health. Hepatitis A can cause liver damage and is spread through such things as fecal matter, sexual contact and intravenous drug use.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville is attempting to convert COVID-19 testing sites into locations where citizens can receive the vaccine. Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the city Brian Hughes said Monday morning during a Jacksonville City Council committee meeting that the hope is that at least two of the testing sites will be converted to vaccine sites as soon as next week. “I’m not guaranteeing that because, again, there are several elements of that out of control.”MORE | Jacksonville seniors begin getting COVID-19 vaccinesHe didn’t say which sites would be converted first but added that the testing sites at Regency Square Mall and the Legends Center are in play. “People are very interested in getting this vaccine and I’m glad to hear that,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said during an afternoon press conference. “I understand that residents had trouble getting through on the appointment line that the Department of Health set up for this purpose.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida posted 10,603 new COVID-19 infections and the state’s death toll from the pandemic ticked upward by 100 Floridians and visitors, the state Department of Health reported Sunday. Four of the deaths reported Sunday were in Northeast Florida: two in Duval County and two in Putnam County. On New Year’s Eve, the state reported the highest daily jump in COVID-19 cases ever detected in Florida, with 17,192 new cases. On Saturday, health officials reported a two-day total 31,518 new cases of the coronavirus and 217 additional deaths. Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, breathing trouble, sore throat, muscle pain, and loss of taste or smell.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – There are no available appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from St. Johns County at this time, county officials announced Sunday. Once St. Johns County receives a new allocation of the vaccine, a registration system will be launched for residents to make an appointment to receive a first dose of the vaccine. For updates regarding St. Johns County’s COVID-19 vaccination program, visit www.sjcfl.us/coronavirusvaccinations, call the St. Johns County COVID-19 vaccination hotline at 904-295-3711 or text SJCVACCINE to 888777. RELATED | COVID-19 vaccine in Northeast Florida: What we know by countyThe announcement comes after the county government stepped in to help St. Johns County’s health department and take over the logistics of distributing the vaccine. For several days, the county’s health department has offered COVID-19 vaccines on a first-come, first-served basis.

Another 383 vaccines were administered at the St. Johns County Fire-Rescue site. Quigley said more than 55,000 people 65 and above living in St. Johns County would qualify for the shots, but only 3,000 vaccines were distributed to the county so far. The line in St. John’s County is growing to try to get the first 3,000 of the county’s vaccines. @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/kspLhKX0UC — Brittany Muller (@BrittMullerNews) January 1, 2021On Friday, St. Johns County Department of Health announced that anyone seeking a COVID-19 vaccination who takes prescribed blood thinner medications must bring a doctor’s note to receive a vaccination. To receive timely updates regarding the Department of Health in St. Johns County’s COVID-19 vaccination program, text SJCVACCINE to 888777.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The race to get a COVID-19 vaccine is causing a stir in St. Johns County. On Thursday, a long line of cars was backed up near the St. Johns County Health Department as many waited for hours to get the vaccine. After the issues, the St. Johns County Board of Commissioners sent a letter to department director Dr. For additional information regarding local vaccination operations, contact the Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County at 904-506-6081 or stjohnsfeedback@flhealth.gov. Visit the St. Johns County COVID-19 vaccinations webpage at www.sjcfl.us/coronavirusvaccinations or text SJCVACCINE to 888777 to receive updates.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.K. have already received at least one shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use, did not endorse one vaccine over the other. Britain’s action likely means the World Health Organization could soon clear the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in a global effort to help poor countries, called COVAX. The European Medicines Agency said it is still assessing the AstraZeneca vaccine and has asked the company for more information on its quality, safety and effectiveness. In addition to the Serum Institute, AstraZeneca has deals with vaccine makers in Brazil, South Africa and China.

The others are the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, insurance commissioner and Kansas Supreme Court chief justice and four Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature. The legislative leaders and the state’s Republican attorney general passed, for now, because not all health care workers and nursing home residents have received theirs. The governor also said Wednesday that “hundreds” of other, non-elected state officials have been made eligible for early vaccines by their agencies. The others are the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, insurance commissioner and Kansas Supreme Court chief justice and four Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature. Most of those Republicans said they didn’t want to jump in line ahead of health care workers, nursing home residents or other vulnerable Kansans.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Anyone 65 years old and above and any health care worker who has not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine can receive their first dose of the vaccine starting Monday in Jacksonville, according to the Florida Department of Health in Duval County. Patients who meet either of the criteria to get a vaccine can call for an appointment, starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Rolles said the department is hopeful that requiring appointments will limit wait times for those getting the vaccine shots. Rein Vandervelde, a home health care physical therapist, said the arrival of the vaccine is a moment he’s been waiting for. News4Jax is working to learn more about the appointments, availability and locations for vaccines in Jacksonville and neighboring counties.

Brian Kemp and Georgia’s Department of Health released details Monday about the next step in the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan. Speaking at Pruitt Health Facility in Gainesville, Georgia, Kemp said the state will begin administering shots to people in long-term care facilities today. “But with the hospitals, I think that is going very smoothly from what I’ve been hearing.”Georgia began vaccinating health care workers Dec. 15. Residents of long-term care facilities were included in the state’s 1-A vaccination plan. The 1-B plan in Georgia will include police and firefighters who were not included in the first phase, along with some other essential workers.

A plume rises near active fissures in the crater of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. A spokeswoman for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park says the volcanic activity is a risk to people in the park Monday and that caution is needed. Geological Survey via AP)HONOLULU – Lava was rising more than 3 feet (1 meter) per hour in the deep crater of a Hawaii volcano that began erupting over the weekend after a two-year break, scientists said Tuesday. Kilauea volcano within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island was gushing molten rock from at least two vents inside its summit crater, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It had a lava lake in its crater for the last decade of that eruption.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida reported 11,015 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, according to the state Department of Health. There were 191 new cases reported on Monday in St. Johns County, marking the county’s biggest single-day increase in cases since the start of the pandemic. Elsewhere in Northeast Florida, Bradford County saw an increase of 144 cases on Monday, while Clay County recorded 149 additional cases and Duval County added 597 cases. On Monday, the Florida Department of Health also reported 115 additional coronavirus-related deaths. The statewide positivity rate based on Sunday’s testing was 8.45%, the health department said Monday.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The state Department of Health on Sunday reported 533 new cases of the coronavirus in Duval County, bringing the county’s total number of cases to 50,230 since the start of the pandemic. The 533 additional cases in Duval County were among 8,958 cases reported statewide by the Florida Department of Health on Sunday. According to the health department, 1,125,931 people in Florida have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. On Sunday, the health department also reported 84 additional coronavirus-related deaths, including five in Duval County. The statewide positivity rate based on Saturday’s testing was 7.89%, the health department said Sunday.

If approved, shots could begin within days for health care workers and people in nursing homes. Shots would then begin for health care workers and nursing home residents. ___CANBERRA, Australia — Australian researchers say they have abandoned development of a potential coronavirus vaccine because it produced false positive results on HIV tests. A health ministry statement says the government will first vaccinate health care workers, particularly those who deal with COVID-19 cases. ___HONOLULU — Hawaii expects to receive 80,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine in December for health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s top public health official said Tuesday that five Florida hospitals -- including UF Health Jacksonville -- could receive COVID-19 vaccinations as early as next week. RELATED: Jacksonville hospital among 5 in Florida to get COVID-19 vaccine firstReferred to as the “Pfizer 5,” Broward Memorial, UF Health Jacksonville, Tampa General Hospital, Advent Health in Orlando, and Jackson Memorial in Miami will be the first Florida hospitals to receive the vaccine. Four of the five facilities are members of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, a statewide hospital association. And it will be both the second wave of the Pfizer vaccine as well as potentially the Moderna vaccine,” Senior said. Rivkees was joined on Tuesday morning’s phone call by Agency for Health Care Administration Deputy Secretary Molly McKinstry.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A man appointed to a commission that recommends judicial appointments to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has resigned citing the search warrant served on a former Department of Health employee who has criticized the state’s COVID-19 data. Ron Filipowski announced his resignation from the 12th Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission on Twitter on Tuesday, saying a raid at the home of Rebekah Jones was unconscionable. Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement served the search warrant Monday, saying a computer at Jones's home was used to hack the Department of Health. RELATED: Florida agents raid home of ousted COVID-19 data curatorWhen she did open the door, a camera set up inside Jones's home filmed the agents as they entered.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida confirmed 10,177 more COVID-19 cases Friday, marking two consecutive days over 10,000 for the first time since the third week of July. The state is now up to 1,039,207 total cases of COVID-19 and 19,236 resident deaths, according to the Department of Health. Duval County added 537 cases and St. Johns had 122. Florida and Duval County daily cases reported since June 1There have been at least 56,095 hospitalizations attributed to the novel coronavirus since coronavirus reached Florida. No Northeast Florida county was over 10% positivity for the first time this week, although most were above the state average.

It now hopes to hit a more positive milestone by becoming one of the first countries in the world to start vaccinating its population against COVID-19. The U.K. government has agreed to buy more than 350 million doses of vaccines from seven different producers, should they prove effective, as it prepares to vaccinate as many of the country’s 67 million people as possible. The Moderna vaccine is expected to be referred soon to the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, to see if it is safe and effective. Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and 100 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. The Moderna vaccine, which also needs to be stored at freezer temperatures, was also about 95% effective in clinical trials, the company said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval schools is teaming up with the Department of Health (DOH) to set up in-school flu immunization clinics at schools beginning Nov. 30, according to Duval County Public Schools. Each weekday, between Nov. 30 and Dec. 18, DOH medical professionals will set up a clinic at different schools for a set number of hours. Participation is not mandatory, and only children who have a signed consent form from their parent will be eligible for a flu vaccine. For parents and guardians, who are un-insured and in need of a flu vaccination, please fluvaxjax.com and select “Get a Vaccine” and then “Click Here” to get a no-cost flu vaccine voucher through the #FluVaxJax program. More information is available on this Flu Vaccine Fact Sheet for children from the Duval County Medical Society.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Department of Health reported 9,085 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday -- the second straight day the state added over 9,000 cases bringing the average for the week to 7,552. Duval County reported 253 more cases Friday, Clay County added 97 and St. Johns’ total increase by 95. Florida and Jacksonville COVID-19 daily cases since June 1Florida also reported 80 additional deaths in Friday’s coronavirus report, although those victims died days if not weeks earlier, bringing the state’s total to 18,110. There 3,439 people hospitalized in Florida on Friday with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 -- 58 more than the day before. The number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 in the United States hit another all-time high at more than 80,000.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Florida and Duval County once again post near-record COVID-19 numbers, hospitalizations across the state continue to rise. That’s what upsets me.”Hospitalizations are rising again across the state and nation, and as cooler weather comes in, concerns are growing. “I worked a shift last night and I can definitely say we’re seeing more cases of COVID-19,” said Matthew Thompson, M.D. According to numbers compiled by the News Service of Florida, Miami-Dade County had the most COVID-19 hospitalizations on Monday, with 465. Thompson said that’s why everyone needs to be extra careful, as Thanksgiving and other holidays are, unfortunately, opportunities for the virus to spread rapidly.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Teachers in Clay County said Tuesday the local health department isn’t providing information on the spread of the coronavirus within the district’s facilities fast enough. On Friday, a Clay County teacher died due to COVID-19 complications, though it’s unclear whether they were exposed at a school. The Clay County School District COVID-19 dashboard only shows district-wide data and is updated weekly. Marlow said the tracing process is the same in Clay County as it is across the state. “Those individuals are then notified by their county health department and instructed to self-isolate for 14 days after their exposure to the virus, and to contact their county health department and health care provider immediately if they develop symptoms.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With thousands of additional COVID-19 cases being reported every day, the number of people hospitalized with the disease continues to mount. As of early Monday evening, 3,243 people in Florida were hospitalized with “primary” diagnoses of COVID-19, up from 3,118 on Sunday afternoon, according to Florida Agency for Health Care Administration numbers. The increase came as Florida reported an additional 4,663 cases on Monday, bringing the overall total to 889,864 since the pandemic started, the state Department of Health reported on its website. Also, 17,559 Florida residents and 216 non-residents had died of COVID-19. Miami-Dade County had the most COVID-19 hospitalizations on Monday, with 465.

MIAMI – The Department of Health said Saturday that Florida logged 4,452 new coronavirus cases, with 3,151 current hospitalizations. Miami-Dade has the most number of cases, logging more than 200,000 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to state statistics. The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in Florida hospitals have risen in recent weeks. The state’s online census of hospitals showed numbers hovering between 2,000 and 2,200 for most of last month. The state’s outbreak peaked over the summer, with nearly 10,000 patients being treated in late July.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 10 Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 180, according to information released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Health. Also, two workers at the Reception and Medical Center have died of the virus. Other facilities tied to the largest numbers of inmate deaths since the start of the pandemic are the South Florida Reception Center, with 21; Union Correctional Institution, with 13; Columbia Correctional Institution, with 10; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; Okeechobee Correctional Institution, with six; South Bay Correctional Facility, with six; and Suwannee Correctional Institution, with six. Since the pandemic began, 16,631 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to numbers posted by the Department of Corrections. Also, 3,508 corrections workers have tested positive and four have died.

Spain has a national 14-day cumulative number of 527 coronavirus cases per 100,000 population, one of the highest in Europe. The rolling average of daily deaths rose from 10.1 to 15.3 and the positivity average increased from 8.9% to 11.8%. ___THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Netherlands reported coronavirus cases fell by 5%, the first decrease in weeks. Dutch public health institute says confirmed coronavirus cases in the past seven days went from 67,542 to 64,087. It lays out new rules for what are considered “essential” items during a monthlong lockdown effort to slow coronavirus infections.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 17,000 Florida residents and visitors have died related to COVID-19, according to data from the state Department of Health. The Florida Department of Health on Monday reported 46 additional coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the state’s total to 17,043 since the pandemic began. Three of the additional deaths reported Monday were in Northeast Florida: two in Duval County and one in Flagler County. On Monday, the state health department also confirmed 4,651 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 812,063 since March. As of about 2:15 p.m. Monday, there were 2,474 people being treated for the disease in Florida hospitals, according to a state online census of hospital beds.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Besides Fletcher High School’s swim and dive team, the school’s bowling and golf teams have also now seen players test positive for COVID-19 in the wake of an outbreak that closed the school last week, Principal Dean Ledford said Friday. We also had bowling, as well, that was unable to participate as well in their gateway conference meet,” Ledford said. RELATED: Reported COVID-19 cases at Fletcher High continue to rise | Fletcher High moves all instruction online after 'approximately 16′ COVID casesLedford told parents Wednesday that all high school students should quarantine for 14 days as a precaution after learning several more students had tested positive beyond those involved last week. The Department of Health is still conducting contact tracing, which means students may not yet know if they have been exposed. When asked the chances that the campus reopening date of Oct. 29 could be delayed given that the health department has not finished contact tracing, the principal said he hopes not.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida plans to more closely scrutinize deaths attributed to the coronavirus, as the Department of Health notes that some people listed as COVID-19 fatalities died months after testing positive for the disease. Florida reported more than 5,500 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, raising the seven-day average in daily reported cases to about 3,300. The Florida Department of Health also confirmed 57 new deaths, bringing the death toll to 16,470. The state previously had county medical examiners confirm COVID-19 deaths, but then switched to having treating physicians do so. The department previously has given guidance on excluding coronavirus deaths if someone who tested positive died for another reason.