U.S. Florida adds over 6,500 new cases of COVID-19 amid surging positive rate

WASHINGTON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The southeastern U.S. state of Florida on Wednesday reported 6,563 new cases of COVID-19 with the positive test rate topping 15 percent, local media reported.

The national average positive rate is around seven percent, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

The new cases brought the total number to 158,997 in Florida, said the reports.

There were 45 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the state total to 3,550 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The continuous surge in novel coronavirus cases has led to the closure of some Florida beaches in the upcoming holiday weekend.