Florida becomes 3rd state to hit 1 million coronavirus cases

(CBS) — Florida on Tuesday became the third U.S. state to surpass 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases.

This came just one day after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference where he denounced mask mandates and insisted that schools stay open for in-person instruction.

The Sunshine State hit the dark milestone after 8,800 new cases were reported Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University and the Florida Department of Health. Florida has recorded more than 18,600 total deaths, the fourth-highest toll in the nation.

Texas and California were the first two states to reach 1 million cases. Both states now have more than 1.2 million confirmed cases.