Florida continues to be the COVID-19 epicenter of the highly transmissible delta variant, with record new cases and rising hospitalizations as some schools start their new year but the deadly dilemma does not seem to faze the states Republican governor.

Florida recorded an alarming 157,388 new cases between Aug. 2 and Aug. 8, bringing the states total cases to nearly 2.8 million, according to data reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . In that same time period, the state saw 791 new deaths, bringing that total to 39,934.

COVID-19 hospitalizations also increased at record-breaking levels for six consecutive days last week, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

As the new delta variant of the disease spreads like wildfire across the state , health officials have noticed a rapid increase in severe infections among an age group that was once widely considered to be at the lowest risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19: children.