FLORIDA: The US state of Florida has reported 21,683 new cases of Covid-19, the state’s highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic, according to federal health data, as its theme park resorts again started asking visitors to wear masks indoors.

The state has become the new national epicentre for the virus, accounting for around a fifth of all new cases in the US as the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus continues to spread, according to an AP report.

The figures show how quickly the number of cases is rising in the Sunshine State: only a day earlier, Florida reported 17,093 new daily cases. The previous peak in Florida had been 19,334 cases reported on Jan 7, before the availability of vaccinations became widespread.