Florida beach is crowded within 30 MINUTES of reopening at 5pm, despite state recording 1,413 new COVID-19 cases - its highest one-day increase since the pandemic crisis began. Photos from the scene show enthusiastic residents cheering as they ran out onto the sand after weeks of closures. Florida Department of Health said confirmed cases in the state rose by 1,421 Friday, the highest one-day number yet. The total number of cases in Florida is now 24,753. The number of deaths has reached 726, an increase of 58 in the last 24 hours.