The University of Florida broke ground Thursday morning at the Leon L. Haley Jr. Trauma and Emergency Center, which was given its name to honor the former UF Health CEO who tragically died in a personal watercraft accident in July 2021.

The Mobile Cancer Screening Connector, a 40-foot-long bus touted by the university as the ‘first of its kind,’ will serve a region larger than Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut combined, UF said.

The deadline for UF Health and United Healthcare to come to terms on a new contract agreement passed Sunday without a deal being made.

The deadline for UF Health and United Healthcare to come to a new contract agreement is fast approaching.

Russ Armistead, who once served as the CEO of UF Health Jacksonville and was on the board of the Proton Therapy Institute, finished his final cancer treatment Thursday and rang the traditional bell to signal the end of his journey.

HIV-positive mothers will now have the support of their physicians if they choose to breastfeed their baby as long as they take their HIV medication, according to new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A 73-year-old Tampa woman died after a crash just after 2am Tuesday in Columbia County near Lake City.

A recent carjacking in a UF Health parking lot is sparking concerns about the safety of hospital employees and students.

A push to move the Duval County jail is gaining steam and now a conversation is brewing about also moving the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office administrative headquarters.

There are funding concerns surrounding UF Health Jacksonville, the city’s only hospital that treats those who can’t afford to pay.

Charges have been dropped against a former Jacksonville “Firefighter of the Year” who was arrested and accused of sexual battery in 2022. The trial for Vincent Harper was set to begin on Monday.

Hospital safety grades released for the fall of 2023 show half of local hospitals received an “A,” while four local hospitals received a grade of “C.”

A juvenile was killed and a man was injured in a shooting Thursday afternoon in the Hogan’s Creek neighborhood.

Flagler Health+ and UF Health have reached a final agreement to integrate Flagler Health+ into UF Health.

UF Health in Jacksonville is using a new tool to help doctors diagnose prostate cancer.

A former Jacksonville “Firefighter of the Year” was arrested Sunday and accused of sexual battery.

Flagler Health+ and UF Health have reached a final agreement to integrate Flagler Health+ into UF Health.

UF Health opens new urgent care facility in Jacksonville's Westside.

A Jacksonville police officer critically injured in a shooting last month was transferred from UF Health hospital Tuesday surrounded by his colleagues.

Funding for a new trauma center and emergency room at UF Health’s main campus was approved Tuesday night by Jacksonville City Council.

A motorcyclist is in the hospital with critical injuries after colliding with a car on Friday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Migraine sufferers will soon have something new to try to relieve their headaches fast.

UF Health Jacksonville’s trauma unit will be in the spotlight this weekend.

Flagler Health+ on Thursday announced it plans to become a part of UF Health later this year.

UF Health, Baptist Health, Ascension St. Vincent’s, Memorial Hospital and Orange Park Medical are all dealing with patients suffering from the flu, COVID, or respiratory syncytia virus — commonly known as RSV.

A former UF Health Nurse accused of stealing hospital medication is the target of three investigations.

A Jacksonville nurse was arrested and accused of stealing medication from an employer for a second time.

At least three clinics in Northwest Jacksonville are closing soon prompting concerns about access for some patients.

One UF Health employee hopes his car will be salvageable.

Video footage from News4JAX Insiders captured cars underwater at UF Health and major flooding in the Springfield area Thursday afternoon.

UF Health employees are continuing to deal with the fallout of a cyberattack on the hospital’s payroll vendor, which happened back in December.

One year ago Sunday, UF Health Jacksonville lost a beloved leader when CEO Dr. Leon Haley died in a WaveRunner accident in South Florida.

A teen who graduated early and was valedictorian of his class was killed at a gas station on North Main Street three years ago. His family is still searching for answers.

Two people were killed in a Friday afternoon crash crash that closed I-95 in Camden County, according to the Georgia State Patrol. At least 12 others have been hospitalized for injuries, UF Health spokesperson said.

Certain communities in Florida face greater health challenges than others, according to former Florida Surgeon General and CDC Deputy Director Doctor Celeste Philip.

The United States is approaching a grim milestone: 1 million deaths from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Governor Ron DeSantis was in Jacksonville Monday morning to help honor a legacy.

Leon Haley, the late UF Health CEO who died in a personal watercraft accident in July 2021, was one of several Jacksonville-area leaders recognized Tuesday at the OneJax Humanitarian Awards event.

A man is dead after a motorcycle crash on the westside of Jacksonville Thursday night.

The News4JAX I-TEAM has found patients can be charged up to $34,000 in fees for just being brought to a trauma center after a traumatic injury, and data shows the rate of trauma alerts, which trigger these fees, is growing faster than Florida population, elderly population, and violent crime rate.

The secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services stopped in Jacksonville on Friday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to combat it.

Vito Johnson was riding his bike on the Eastside of Jacksonville on Feb. 4 when he was injured in a hit-and-run.

For the most part, those who are sick are not severe and are expected to recover.

The ITEAM has received calls and emails from health care workers who said they are frustrated that they are getting no answers from Human Resources and their bosses about when they will be paid in full for their work during the holidays.

Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Florida, Baptist Health has decided to bring back daily updates to let the public know how many patients are being treated in its hospitals.

UF Health is recommending that people wear N95 or KN95 masks in public settings rather than cloth or surgical masks, which don’t fit as closely to the face.

Both men suffered severe burns.

The 7th annual Tony’s Turkey Trot for Brain Injury Awareness 5K drew hundreds of participants to the Beaches Town Center in Atlantic Beach on Thanksgiving morning to honor the legacy of Dr. Leon Haley Jr.

The fight against COVID-19 is far from over.

With tens of thousands of fans in Downtown Jacksonville for the Florida-Georgia game on Saturday, the city has placed strategic Information & First Aid Zones around the Sports Complex area to help keep fans healthy -- and out of trouble.

An update to a story we first reported earlier this month involving a 70-year old great grandmother who was hauled off to jail after refusing to leave her critically ill daughter’s side at UF Health.

As COVID-19 cases in Jacksonville decline, local hospitals are showing a substantial drop in COVID-19 patients.

UF Health officials wrapped up a teleconference with local politicians Tuesday, filling them in on where the city stands with the COVID-19 pandemic, including local cases and how the virus is now affecting children.

The safety expert says motorcycles can be fun, but that people need to realize it's also a dangerous hobby.

Two motorcyclists are dead Saturday morning after two separate crashes on Jacksonville’s Westside.

Russell Armistead was named chief executive officer of UF Health Jacksonville on Friday, replacing Dr. Leon L. Haley Jr., who died July 24 in an accident.

Coworkers and friends described Hailey as optimistic, upbeat and fun.

Linda R. Edwards will serve as dean of the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville for a one-year term, and the university will launch a national search to replace Dr. Leon L. Haley Jr., according to a UF Health news release.

UF Health Jacksonville CEO Dr. Leon Haley Jr. was honored Saturday with a funeral service in Pittsburgh, a week after a fatal WaveRunner accident in Palm Beach County.

Hospital leaders across Jacksonville have been warning about the influx of COVID-19 patients that have been flooding their facilities -- most connected to the highly contagious delta variant.

Vaccinations are one of the hottest topics locally and nationally this week with the resurgence of the virus due to the delta variant.

In just one day, COVID-19 cases at Jacksonville hospitals have seen a considerable increase, News4Jax learned Wednesday.

UF Health CEO Dr. Leon Haley said Thursday he anticipates the Jacksonville Jaguars will be able to safely host more than 65,000 fans for home games when the season kicks off this fall.

The CEO of UF Health Jacksonville on Thursday stressed the importance of getting teens vaccinated.

As the vaccine rollout continues across the country, vaccines are not approved for younger children yet.

Any adult in Florida is now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

UF Health, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health, will host a “major” vaccination event at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.

Ron DeSantis announced Monday that the state will lower the age for people to get a COVID-19 vaccine from 65 to 60 next week. “That will apply across the board at all of the state pods, all of the pharmacies, all of the different drive-thru sites that are being operated,” DeSantis said. “If you’re 60 plus, you will be able to get sign up and be able to get the vaccine.”The age change is effective March 15. The change comes as the demand from seniors is decreasing and the federal vaccination sites throughout the state continue to see a low turnout of eligible people. DeSantis also said the increased supply also makes appointments to get a vaccine at grocery stores and pharmacies easier to obtain.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One person is dead and four others were hospitalized after a single-vehicle accident Sunday morning, troopers said. According to Florida Highway Patrol, a Kia Sportage was driving south on Interstate 295 just before Lem Turner around 4:15 a.m. when it went off the road, hitting several trees. Troopers said the 22-year-old driver died and the four passengers -- three 19-year-olds and one 20-year-old -- were taken to UF Health with serious injuries. According to the FHP report, it’s unknown whether they were wearing seat belts. Troopers said the crash remains under investigation.

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – A woman died Friday evening after a crash involving a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office vehicle and two other cars, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the deputy was headed home in his agency patrol car when the crash occurred. An infant and 9-year-old girl who were in her car suffered minor injuries. The deputy and a third driver, along with a 12-year-old boy, also suffered minor injuries and were treated at the Lake City Medical Center. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office released a statement Saturday about the crash, saying in part:“The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting an independent traffic crash investigation.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – One of North Florida’s most recognizable stadiums has changed from filling with fans for Gator games to one of the area’s largest COVID-19 vaccination sites. On Friday, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium -- known popularly as “The Swamp” -- was being used for a COVID-19 vaccine “blitz.” Around 1,100 senior citizens were vaccinated there. UF Health and the Alachua County Health Department are teaming up for the mass vaccine event for Alachua County residents age 65 and older. GALLERY: UF ‘Swamp’ is now mass COVID-19 vaccination siteOfficials said they chose Ben Hill Griffin stadium because it’s big, just about everyone in the area knows where it is and it’s fairly easy to access. AdThey hope as more supply comes in that they can do mass vaccination events like this again and again.

A sign on top of the stadium as the Florida Gators host the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 11, 2008 in Gainesville, Florida. The University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will go from a place where Gators quarterbacks take shots into the endzone to a place where seniors will get COVID-19 shots on Friday. By the end of the day, 1,000 Alachua County residents 65 and over are expected to be vaccinated. If you have an appointment, park in designated areas just north of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Swamp isn’t the only venue where UF Health is working with the county health department.

“There isn’t a day that goes by that we’re not a little nervous,” Jeffery Leach said. And it’s critically important that our community has that option to get the vaccine,” Jeffery Leach said. To get the state’s attention, he said members of the Down syndrome community created a campaign called #AShotAtTheShot. According to Jeffery Leach, there are about 1,500 people in Jacksonville that are diagnosed with Down syndrome. Those in high-risk populations can call a hospital and book a vaccine appointment, but some hospitals are waiting for more shipments of the vaccine.

Researchers in the lab of Dr. Nicole Iovine found the drug baricitinib plus remdesivir led to better patient outcomes than remdesivir alone. GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Combining an anti-inflammatory drug with an antiviral drug reduces recovery time and accelerates improvement for COVID-19 patients, a national study co-authored by UF Health researchers has found. Researchers also found fewer adverse events in patients receiving the combination treatment, and the 28-day mortality was 5.1% in the combination group versus 7.8% in the control group. The first trial of the study began in May and established remdesivir as a successful treatment for hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Thus, the next iteration of the adaptive study will evaluate the results of dexamethasone paired with remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment, and compare those with results of the remdesivir and baricitinib study.

But they still had unused COVID-19 shots left over. Once at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time, Neilsen said the vaccine spoils and falls apart internally. “We do have sort of a waiting list. If people you know, miss an appointment, for some reason, we can pull from a waiting list and pull other people in,” Neilsen said. He says there has to be a common-sense solution instead of throwing away leftover doses of the vaccine.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Born at 12:02 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Kasani Finley was one of the first Jacksonville babies welcomed into 2021 at UF Health. Happy New Year!” UF Health wrote on Facebook. Anna and Vladimir Orgunov’s family also got a little bigger as they kicked off 2021. Their little boy born at Baptist Health was among the first babies born at a Jacksonville-area hospital this year. “His due date was December 31st so he was right on time,” Anna Orgunov, Roman’s mother, said.

Duval County showed another 676 cases, St. Johns had 159 additional cases, Clay County added 123 cases and Nassau County had 78 more. Florida and Duval County daily COVID-19 cases since June 1Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration dashboard shows 5,590 people hospitalized in the state Wednesday afternoon. Nassau and Columbia counties had no ICU beds available on Wednesday afternoon. UF Health in Jacksonville Downtown campus had only 8% of its ICU beds available, but Duval County other hospitals had between availability ranging from 17-50%. Of those, 5,269 were administered in Duval County, 1,274 in St. Johns County and 494 in Clay County.

Florida forward Keyontae Johnson (11), shown during an exhibition game against Lynn, starred in a game Thursday against Saint Joseph's. A source told the Sun that Johnson was diagnosed with acute myocarditis, or heart inflammation, after an MRI at UF Health in Gainesville. Like many of his Florida teammates, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 during the summer. Although the cause of Johnson’s collapse has not been revealed, the coronavirus can lead to myocarditis, a viral infection of the heart muscle. The SEC mandates strict protocols, including rigorous heart testing, before players can be cleared to return to play following positive COVID-19 tests.

Hattie Martin, who has worked as the parking attendant for UF Health for 23 years, received a dose of the vaccine. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In Jacksonville, UF Health hospital vaccinated its largest number of people this week. At UF Health, officials planned to vaccinate more than 700 people Wednesday. “I have to put all my stuff aside and think about them.”She’s worked as the parking attendant for UF Health for 23 years. So did Dr. Ruchir Puri, a General Surgeon at UF Health.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Naval Hospital Jacksonville and UF Health in Gainesville on Wednesday began giving the COVID-19 vaccine to high-risk and high-exposure health care workers. After the shipments arrived Tuesday at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, phase one of the COVID-19 vaccination plan started Wednesday, meaning some high exposure-risk personnel got their first of two injections. Health care workers, emergency services staff and public safety officials lined up to receive some of the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. And I think this is a step in the right direction.”More than 300 additional health care workers at UF Health in Gainesville were expected to be vaccinated throughout the day. Elsewhere, at least 110 health care workers at UF Health Jacksonville have received their first shot.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With the arrival of 10,000 more doses of COVID-19 vaccine at UF Health Jacksonville on Tuesday, 100 front-line health care workers got their first shots. “It’s an honor that UF Health was one of the five hospitals in Florida to do this. “I trust the people here at UF Health Jacksonville, especially the physicians. Once health care and front-line workers are done, residents of long-term care facilities are next and then people aged 65 and older. They are the front-line health care workers in the emergency departments and the ICUs around the state,” Duane said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida is expecting to get around 120,000 doses of the vaccine as part of the first phase of distribution. The priority for health officials are hospitals and long-term care facilities. It’s likely the first doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine will be sent out within 48 hours. Partnering with the Division of Emergency Management and the Florida National Guard, the department said it will form “strike teams” to get those doses to where they’re badly needed at long-term care facilities. With 19,500 going to each hospital facility, UF Health in Jacksonville is one of them.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) prepares to review Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine this week, hospitals in Northeast Florida are prioritizing which healthcare workers will be the first to receive the vaccine in the case they don’t receive enough to vaccinate all willing staff members. UF Health in Jacksonville is one of five hospitals in the state – and the only hospital in Northeast Florida – to be selected to receive and distribute Pfizer’s vaccine to surrounding hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and other federal agencies have already identified healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities as the first who should receive the vaccines in phase one of the roll-out. So, we have to be sensitive to that and again, this is a new vaccine,” said Neilsen. Megan Kennedy is the Vice President of Operations at Starling, a company that runs several long-term care facilities across Northeast Florida.

It’s the blood clots in her lungs -- forcing a dry cough -- worrying her now. “I’m taking blood thinners for the blood clots in my lungs, which are called pulmonary embolisms,” Bundy said. Angiolillo said patients in and out of the hospital must be treated early and aggressively for potential blood clotting. Researchers there also found blood clots increased the risk of death by 74%. Angiolillo said treating COVID-19 patients during hospitalization with blood-thinning medications has become standard of care.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 59-year-old Jacksonville man died Sunday after a motorcycle he was driving collided with a car in North Jacksonville. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the unidentified driver of the motorcycle was traveling southbound in the outside travel lane on Interstate 95 approaching Golfair Boulevard when he collided with another vehicle. The collision caused the motorcycle driver to fall into the roadway, according to FHP. The driver was taken to UF Health where he was pronounced dead. The investigation is still ongoing and charges are pending, according to FHP.

And they (the Affordable Care Act) helped me. Some patients at UF Health said they rely on the Affordable Care Act. One woman, who asked not to be named, said the Affordable Care Act really helps those on the poverty line. He wants a new health care program and says the current Affordable Care Act needs to go. President-elect Joe Biden was in the Obama Administration when the Affordable Care Act first came was created.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Crowds that formed at polling places on Tuesday, despite their apparent smaller-than-usual size, still have the potential to spread the coronavirus as the holiday season looms. UF Health’s director of infection prevention, Chad Neilsen, said he would not be surprised by a surge in the coming weeks. “I think the potential really is there, particularly as we’re already seeing more cases and percent positivity increasing, especially across Northeast Florida and the rest of the state,” said Neilsen. “Because of the holidays, college kids tend to go back to their homes from school and they’re the ones who are more likely to have it asymptomatically and spread it,” Neilsen said. More information and recommendations from the CDC about holiday gatherings can be found on its website.

Another limitation was the researchers only reviewed the records of patients at UF Health. More investigation is needed to confirm the findings, but if confirmed they would be a boost for flu vaccination efforts, said Arch G. Mainous III, the study’s senior author. It’s not clear why a flu vaccination could potentially be beneficial for COVID-19 patients. One theory is that cells the influenza vaccine primes to kill the flu virus could also destroy the novel coronavirus. Another theory is that components, or “adjuncts," are added to the flu vaccine to make it more effective.

Researchers are actively enrolling eligible patients at UF Health Jacksonville in COVID-19-related research studies. The efforts contribute to important work being conducted around the world to help researchers and clinicians better understand and more effectively target treatment options for COVID-19 patients. “UF Health emergency medicine is leading the way around COVID-19 research on our campus. An additional study involves enrollment in the Indiana University COVID-19 Registry to allow UF Health Jacksonville to share information on COVID-19 patients, containment and care escalation efforts. “Our team of emergency medicine physicians engaged in COVID-19 studies exemplifies the spirit of our division and our commitment to contributing to the greater good of the medical community,” said Hendry, associate chair of emergency medicine research at the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville.

What really frustrated Mufti was that many of these delirium patients didn’t have their own voice. But Radhakrishnan’s team saw that delirium threatened younger COVID-19 patients as well, so champion services were expanded to include them, too. Keeping faithOther UF Health hospitals also have existing delirium prevention programs for patients, including UF Health Jacksonville, UF Health The Villages Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital. Radhakrishnan said UF Health is looking for opportunities to align COVID-19 delirium care across its multiple facilities. Fountain, who came to UF Health Shands full of fear, turned a corner when she saw the face of her daughter, Gail Diggett.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health reported another 2,660 cases of COVID-19 statewide on Friday to bring the state’s total to 711,804 since the pandemic began. The state also reported that Thursday’s positivity rate for new cases was 3.77% -- the lowest daily rate the state has seen since June 8 when it reported a 3.71% positivity rate. For 12 of the last 14 days, the state’s rate of positive COVID-19 tests has remained at or below 5% -- a key threshold watched by state leaders. Clay County has reported 105 deaths and St. Johns County has reported 73 deaths. As of Thursday morning, 23 people with the virus were hospitalized at UF Health, with 10 in the ICU and two on ventilators.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With 13 additional coronavirus-related deaths reported in Jacksonville on Thursday, Duval County has now seen a total of 407 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic hit Florida in March. Statewide, the Florida Department of Health reported 133 additional deaths Thursday related to COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 14,619 in about seven months. Clay County reported three additional deaths, and Alachua, Columbia and Nassau counties each reported one. Of the 19 Northeast Florida deaths added Thursday, the youngest was a 48-year-old Clay County woman and the oldest was a 94-year-old Jacksonville man. In Duval County, 118 new COVID-19 cases were reported Thursday.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Officers called to a shooting at the Red Carpet Lounge about 2 a.m. Saturday found a man with three gunshot wounds and stopped a Jeep leaving the area containing two more men with gunshot wounds, according to the Brunswick Police Department. Officer learned that bouncers from the club followed patrons outside at closing time trying to get them to leave the area before the dancers left for the night. Stephen Bryant, 35 of Charleston, South Carolina, who was a bystander and stepped in to help the bouncers, was shot in the chest, leg and arm. Two of three men in the fleeing SUV had minor gunshot wounds and were taken to Southeast Georgia Health Systems. No arrests have been made and Brunswick police are still working to find out who initiated gunfire.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A shooting in the back parking lot of a Checkers Drive-In Restaurant on Kings Road left Sunday afternoon left one man dead and one man critically injured, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Arriving officers found two men in their early 20s suffering from multiple gunshot wounds inside their black four-door sedan. JSO is working to identify these men and notify their next of kin. "I think they are just stopping people who are coming through, trying to identify. There are family members that have come towards trying to find out if these are their family members or not.

Face touching is like breathing. One pre-pandemic study found that people touch their face an average of 23 times an hour. But what if a smartwatch beeped or vibrated every time your hand touched your face? Designing an app to accurately detect the movement of hands to face, however, is an extraordinarily complex task. How much can it curtail the undesired face touching?

Local Rotary feeds health care workers while supporting Black-owned businessesPublished: September 19, 2020, 11:17 pmNearly 100 meals were donated to health care workers and hospital staff Saturday at UF Health Jacksonville as part of the Rotary Feeding Heroes service project.

University of Florida Health scientists are studying a trio of existing medications known to have broad antiviral activity. Two drugs have shown promising results in suppressing the Sars-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) in initial tests on human colon and lung cells that were infected with the coronavirus. We chose to research these drugs for effectiveness against COVID-19 because they have the most promise for broad-spectrum antiviral activity, Brown said. The ones being studied as a SARS-CoV-2 therapy are galidesivir, remdesivir and favipiravir. UF College of Pharmacy Director of Communications Matt Splett contributed to this report.

GLEN SAINT MARY, Fla. The first Florida high school football games kicked-off Friday night and in the struggle to curb the spread of COVID-19, many area schools appeared to be playing weak defense, according to a local pediatrician. Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, Chief of Community and Societal Pediatrics at UF Health, described the Baker County High School game against the visiting Bradford High School as a super spreader event.Those individuals are at higher risk for spreading the disease, both within Baker county and outside Baker County, Goldhagen said. SOURCE: Baker County High School website Sept. 7, 2020 (Baker County School District)While Duval County Public Schools, the St. Johns County School District, the Clay County School District and many others implemented reduced capacity at athletic events to account for social distancing, BCSD did not. Crowds of spectators at a high school football game in Charlton County on Sept. 4, 2020. Crowds of spectators at a high school football game in Camden County on Sept. 4, 2020.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gators football will look quite a bit different this season. Florida announced a handful of changes for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including only 20% capacity at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ahead of its home opener against South Carolina on Oct. 3. The Gators open their season on the road at Ole Miss on Sept. 26. The capacity limit will take the Swamp from 88,548 to right at 17,000, the school said on Thursday. The only time that fans are permitted to remove them is when they are eating and drinking.

Ron DeSantis expects people to be better behaved in preventing the spread of the coronavirus during the Labor Day weekend than they were on Memorial Day. I think you can be very active and just do it in a way that makes sense, DeSantis said. I think a lot of Floridians have really gotten into a good groove. As Floridians celebrated the Memorial Day weekend, the number of coronavirus cases stood at 52,255, and the virus was tied to 2,338 deaths. As of Monday, the state reported 623,471 cases and 11,187 deaths of Florida residents.