Florida COVID-19 numbers continue to rise

The state of Florida's COVID-19 dashboard lists more than 999-thousand total cases on the cusp of passing the one million mark like California and Texas.

MILLION CONFIRMED CASES..

ISLIKELY NOW JUST ONE DAY AWAYIN FLORIDA.

IT'S A SOMBERREMINDER OF THE PROGRESS STILLNEEDED..

IN THE FIGHT TOCONTAIN COVID-19.

WPTVNEWSCHANNEL 5'S TODD WILSONWITH INSIGHT FROM A DOCTOR..AND JUST WHEN SOME FLORIDIANCAN EXPECT A VACCINE.<< NATS: (VO) THE STATE OFFLORIDA'S COVID DASHBOARDLISTS OUR STATE WITH MORE THAN999-THOUSAND TOTAL CASES..

ONTHE CUSP OF PASSING THE ONEMILLION MARK LIKE CALIFORNIAAND TEXAS.

DR. KLEPER DEALMEIDA, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASESPECIALIST WITH JFK MEDICALCENTER SAYS ITS A NUMBER WE'VEREACHED IN PART..

BECAUSE OFCOLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR.

(SOT01:40) 7 SEC WE ARE NOT PAYINGATTENTION TO WEARING A MASKWHEN WE ARE IN CLOSE SPACESWITH OTHER FOLKS.

NATS: (VO)HIS CONCERN... IS ON THEDAYS..

AND WEEKS AHEAD..

WITHSO MANY FAMILIES GATHERINGOVER THANKSGIVING.

(SOT 00:57)8 SEC WE EXPECT THESE NUMBERSTO INCREASE GIVEN THAT WE HADA SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OFTRAVELING LAST WEEK.

NATS:(VO) AN INCREASE..

EXPECTED TOSLOW ONCE A VACCINE ISAVAILABLE DE ALMEIDA SAYSFOLKS OLDER THAN 65 AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS SHOULD RECEIVEPRIORITY.

(SOT 04:28) 7 SECONCE WE BEGIN VACCINATING, IEXPECT TO SEE A PROGRESSIVEDECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF NEWINFECTIONS.

NATS: (VO) IT MAYBE JUST A MATTER OF WEEKS..UNTIL VACCINES STARTARRIVING..

ACCORDING TOGOVERNOR RON DESANTIS.

HEEXPECTS OUR STATE WILL RECEIVEA SIGNIFICANT ALOTMENT OFVACCINE DOSES.

(SOT 03:12) OUTOF 40 MILLION DOSES BY THE ENDOF THE MONTH, THAT'S 20MILLION PEOPLE, FLORIDA'SSHARE WOULD BE AT LEAST AMILLION MAYBE AS MUCH AS TWOMILLION.

NATS: (VO) ONE MAJORPRIORITY WILL REMAIN...LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES...ONE OF THE MOST VULNERABLEPOPULATIONS.

(SOT 02:42) 3 SECBECAUSE THEY'RE CONGREGANTSETTINGS WHERE THE VIRUS CANSPREAD MORE IF IT GETS IN.(TODD'S TAG) DR. DE ALMEIDASAYS THE MESSAGE SHOULD NOT BELOST THAT PEOPLE STILL NEED TODILLIGENTLY WASH THEIR HANDS,WEAR A MASK AND SOCIALDISTANCE.

IN PALM BEACHCOUNTY, TODD WILSON, WPTVNEWSCHANNEL 5.