randi kaye confronts a doctor for being a super spreader of covid misinformation. >> reporter: i'm randie with cnn. can we ask you a couple questions? we just want to talk to you about vaccines and what you've been saying about them. is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis... stelara® can provide relief and is the only approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? back off, uc! stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection... flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. if you've been financially impacted by covid-19, janssen may be able to help. if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture, now mig

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. >> reporter: randi kaye, cnn, palm beach county, florida. >> in one florida county covid has claimed the lives of two teachers and a teaching assistant all before the start of the school year. all three were unvaccinated and all three died within one day of one another. i want to bring in the president of the broward county teachers union. anna, this is all so tragic. how are your teachers coping? >> our teachers are coping because they're having faith in our broward county public elected school board members and our newly appointed interim superintendent. they are standing really strong and really giving out some great conversations that they really care about the community. they voted in favor of the mask mandate, keeping all of our protocols that we had in from last school year and what we put in through our summer experience to make sure that everybody that comes onto campuses and into school buildings in any broward

. >> i'm randi kaye with cnn. can we ask you a couple questions?n a doctor who one group calls one of the biggest spreaders of covid misinformation. we'll hear from him, ahead. i was drowning in student loan debt. then i discovered sofi. lower interest rate. my principal is going down. sofi is a place where you can start to tackle those money goals today. ♪ >>> as we mentioned in our conversation with bill gates, the survey found that half of unvaccinated americans think the ° vaccine is more dangerous than covid. but florida doctor has gone to great lengths to perpetuate this. the story and the reason behind his actions. >> it's an unproved vaccine. that's just been accelerated, eliminated in virtually every safety study. >> reporter: he's the ultimate superspreader of misinformation about covid-19. he's joseph mercola. >> the vast majority of people in america have seen misinformation that has originated with this superspreader of lies and misinformation. >> reporter: that's why a nonprofit tracking misinformation online put dr. mercola at the to

cnn's randi kaye is in florida and breaks down the numbers. >> reporter: in the past week or so we have seen more than 110,000 new cases here in the state of florida of covid. the daily average is about 1 15,800. if you look at how florida is contributing to the number of cases around the country, 19.2% of all new covid cases reported in the u.s. are right here in florida, mainly south florida. we are also experiencing similar numbers to what we saw back in january, really at the height of the pandemic. florida also still just about 49% of the population here is fully vaccinated, so still a ways to go. there's lot of concern about schools reopening and what is happening to children under 12 who are not yet eligible, and cases among that age group under 12, nearly 11,000 children in the last week or so testing positive under 12 years old for covid. the positivity rate for that age group now is 18.1%. the statewide positivity rate is 18.2%. the governor issued an executive order saying you cannot mandate the mask in schools. he says any district who defies his executive order could risk l

randi kaye is with us from daytona beach. these doctors and nurses who have been doing god's work for more than a year and a half now, what are they seeing in this new search. >> reporter: they're seeing what they don't want to see, more and more people hospitalized. florida right now leads the nation in the number of adults and children hospitalized. the cdc releasing 265 adults and 47 children have been admitted with covid since the previous day. the cdc is also saying there are 143 children hospitalized in total here in the state of florida. that's more than any other state in the country. texas is just behind florida with 140 children hospitalized. the backdrop is this ongoing battle between governor ron desantis here in florida and president biden. the president has been quite critical, turning the spotlight on florida, pointing to the governor about his handling of the pandemic and the lack of mask mandates in the schools here. the president saying, if you're not going to help, then get i o out of the way. >> joe biden

. >> i'm randy kaye with cnn. can i ask you a couple of questions?ctor calls them the biggest spreader of covid information. we'll hear from him ahead. will have you jumping for joy. now, get new lower auto rates with allstate. because better protection costs a whole lot less. you're in good hands with allstate. click or call for a lower auto rate today. [relaxed summer themed music playing] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ summer is a state of mind, you can visit anytime. savor your summer with lincoln. welcome back to milkshake mustaches, high fives and high dives. to 3-on 3s... 2-on-2s... and 1-on-1s. at aspen dental, we see all the moments that make us smile so we make it easy to share your smile with convenient, total care - all in one place. and flexible hours that work with your life. right now, new patients get a complete exam and x-rays — free without insurance, and everyone saves 20% on their treatment plan. welcome back to life's best moments. call 1-800-aspendental or book online today. team usa is ready for the olympic games... ...and so is sharon! she g

cnn's randi kaye joins me from riviera beach, florida, with more on this. randi, no mask mandate for children in schools. what else is being done in florida as these cases spike? >> well, jessjessica, a lot of l municipalities are trying to take it into their own hands. they're trying to request a mask mandate. they're suggesting people wear masks but it's very difficult for them to mandate here because the governor ron desantis is very strongly against any type of statewide mask mandate. he doesn't want people who might violate any type of mask mandate on the local level to be fined. so it's very difficult. all of this happening as we're seeing this surge, more than 110,000 cases here in florida in the last week. the daily average, 15,818 cases. and just yesterday, jessica, we set a record for the most cases in a single day since the pandemic began. 21,683 cases in the state of florida. right now if you look at cases across the u.s., 19.2% of all of those cases are right here in the state of florida. mostly here in south florida. we are certainly edging clo

cnn's randi kaye joins me from rif riviera beach, florida. you've been all over the dynamics here. talk to us about the rising numbers but also the latest order from desantis and what it all means. >> well, first, phil, the numbers. and they are staggering. in the last week, we have seen more than 110,000 cases here in the state of florida of covid. and also the daily average now is 15,818. so that's what we're seeing on a daily basis. and just yesterday, here we are, this deep into the pandemic. just yesterday we set a record. the most cases in a single day here in the state of florida. 21,683. if you look at how florida's contributing to the cases around the country, 19.2% of all new covid cases around the country are right here in the state of florida. we are seeing numbers that we saw on average back in mid-january when it was really bad here in the state. and also florida is not yet 50% vaccinated. half the population isn't even vaccinated here, fully vaccinated at least. 49% of floridians are vaccinated. and those are the people, the people who are unvaccinated are those who

randi kaye has more on the escalating mask wars. >> they think that we'll give it up, but we're not. >> reporter: in lake county, florida, tempers flared over mask mandates. >> my kids, my choice. >> reporter: hundreds on both sides of the issue turned out to protest, even though masks are still optional in this district. the issue wasn't even on the school board's agenda, but that didn't stop parents from speaking out. >> i feel like the only way to get control is to close it down for a month. >> shut up. >> reporter: in jacksonville, florida, more anger over masks. >> your job is to educate my child. that means reading, writing, math, a game dodge ball at pe would be great. but not a mask, not a medical decision, it is not your decision to put a medical device on my child. >> it seems like a no-brainer. universal mask mandate is the minimum that we can do to keep our children safe. >> reporter: after heated debate, the devalue county school board voted in favor of a 90 day mask mandate for all students. only those with a note from a licensed health care provider can opt out. in nor

cnn's randi kaye joins me from florida. how are officials responding to the dramatic spike? >> they are still saying no restrictions and no mandates despite the surge that we are seeing in the state of florida in the last week more than 110,000 cases. the dayty average for new cases right now is 15,818. and jessica, just yesterday we set a record for the most new cases in a single day since the pandemic began here in the state of florida yesterday we saw 21,683 new cases. so 19% -- 19.2 % of all new cases in the country reported around the country last week are coming from here in the state of florida. mostly here in south florida. and right now florida is seeing the highest average number of new cases since mid january. in terms of who is vaccinated, about 49% of floridians are vaccinated. still less than half the people in florida are vaccinated. many of the people are ending up in emergency rooms, in icu wards. i visited a covid ward in jacksonville recently at baptist medical center. i spoke to a nurse who told me 99% of the patients they're seeing are unvaccinated and t

cnn's randi kaye joins me from riviera beach, florida. how are people responding to the spike in cases there? >> reporter: they don't want to change anything in the state of florida. they seem to think things are going well, despite the surge of numbers on the state level. in the last week we saw more than 110,000 new cases in florida. the daily average 50,818 cases yesterday. yesterday there was a record for the most cases in a single day. 21 ,683 cases yesterday. if you look at how florida stacks up across the country, 19.2 % of all the cases in the u.s. are here in the state of florida. mostly in south florida where we are. also florida is seeing the highest average number of new cases they've seen since january. when the pandemic was quite bad here. and the number of vaccinated right now still not half the state is vaccinated. we have 49% of the people in the state of florida who are fully vaccinated. and many of the unvaccinated are ending up in the icu. i was on a covid ward in jacksonville, recently. i visited baptist medical cente

cnn's randi kaye takes a closer look. >> masks in class! cobb county, georgia, parents faced off on the issue of masks. [ overlapping speakers ] in this school district, masks are optional. >> our children, our choice. our children, our choice. >> our kids can't be vaccinated. mask up! >> reporter: despite the science that supports the efficacy of masks, this protester believes they are dangerous for children. >> the germs that they're just having to breathe in and out day in and day out from the mask to me is more harmful than not having the mask on. >> reporter: this was the seen in warren county, kentucky, where masks are required in school. >> i have a grandson that i have custody of and that is my choice. >> kids don't need to breathe carbon dioxide all day. they need facial recognition. >> i think children should wear a mask also. >> reporter: in williamson county, tennessee, outside nashville parents clashed at a recent protest. >> we know who you are. >> we know who you are! >> you can leave freely, but we will find you and we know

randi kaye has more on the vocal, sometimes physical confrontations that have been occurring in floridaou think we're just going to give this up but we're not. >> reporter: in lake county, florida tempers flared over mask mandates. >> i don't want them to wear masks. it's my kids. it's my choice. it's my freedom. >> reporter: hundreds on both sides of the issue turned out to protest. even though masks are still optional in this district. the issue wasn't even on the school board's agenda. but that didn't stop parents from speaking out. >> i really feel as though the only way you're going to get control is to close it down for a month. >> shut up! >> reporter: in jacksonville, florida more anger over masks. >> your job is to educate my child. that means reading, writing, math, a game of dodgeball at p.e. would be great. but not a mask. not a medical decision. it is not your decision to put a medical device on my child. >> it seems like a no-brainer. a universal mask mandate is the minimum that we can do to keep our children safe. >> reporter: after heated debate the duvall county school

our randi kaye joins us from palm beach county for more. what more do we know about what governor ron desantis is doing? >> as you know, the governor had released this executive order banning masks. he did threaten to hold children from schools if they defied that order. he said the state board of ed could withhold salaries for superintendents and school board members who tried to push through mask mandates. the governor's office saying they were trying to tailor punishment to decision makers who led to the violation of law. that's an exact quote. meanwhile, four school districts in the state of florida are defying the governor's order, including broward county, which is the second largest school district in the state, and just today, leon county in tallahassee. the superintendent there has now issued a mask mandate, but earlier he had sent a letter to the governor asking for autonomy and flexibility, and that whole exchange went sideways because he ended up issuing that mask mandate today in response to the governor's threat to withhold hi

. >> randi kaye is in riviera beach. how are they dealing with a spike? >> reporter: they are trying to keep up. more than 110,000 cases in the state of florida. 1800 cases per day. in july of 2020, 15,000 cases on july 12th in 2020. here we are again talking about the same number of cases per day. if you look at yesterday here in the state, we actually set a record for the most new cases in a single day since the pandemic began, 21,683 new cases. in terms of the numbers and percentages of florida compared to the rest of the country, 19.2% of all the covid cases reported in the u.s. week were from the state of florida, most of them here until south florida. we are edging closer to the highest average of cases that we saw in january and also florida now just under 50% vaccinated, 49% of the population here is vaccinated. it is the unvaccinated who are getting sick, they are ending up at the e.r., in the icu, many ending up on ventilators. we spoke with some unvaccinated patients on the covid ward at a jackson hospital, baptist medical center recently. they

. >> randy kaye. appreciate it. bring in medical person emout of state. public health experts seem confused. >> when you have authorities for reasons that -- and i can't explain. is it political, is it libertarian? what is it? how can you prevent the local authorities from doing what it takes to protect the children for what reason is more important than protecting the health of the children? >> in a moment, the top elected official in dallas county fighting governor abbott on this, first ed lavendera joins us. what are you hearing about what officials need? >> hospital officials across the state that i've spoken with today are sounding the alarm in a way that i haven't heard, even in the worse days of the pandemic in this state. there are more than 10,000 people hospitalized with coronavirus. this has spiked dramatically and quickly. these are numbers we have not seen since late january, early february. there are just under 370 available icu beds across the state and some regions are reporting single digit number o

. >> randi kaye has been following mask wars in schools and has the latest. [ chanting ] >> reporter:bb county georgia, parents face off about masks. in this school district, masks are optional. >> our children, our choice! our children, our choice! >> mask up! >> reporter: despite the science that supports the ef-- >> from the masks, to me is more harmful than the mask, you know, of not centering mask on. >> this was the scene recently in warren county kentucky where masks are required in school. >> i have a grandchild that i have custody of and that's my choice. >> kids they'd to learn facial recognition, how to communicate. >> i think children should wear a mask also. >> reporter: in williamson county outside of nashville -- parents clashed at a recent protest. >> we know who you are. >> we know who you are. >> we know who you are. >> you can leave freely, but we will find you and we know where you are. >> you will never be allowed in public again. >> reporter: it got so heated, police stepped in. [ cheers and applause ] at the school board meeting wednesday night, masks were debat

. >> reporter: randi kaye, cnn, palm beach county, florida. >> let's get the advice of dr. disease doctor. dr. marty, according to a recent analysis, there have been 70,000 covid cases and only 30,000 quarantined sibefore the start the school year. what do you think about the governor telling districts they aren't allowed to opt out? >> quite frankly, the entire thing breaks my heart. we're doing everything we can to stop transmission of this horrific virus. and the governor and everyone else, all leaders, should be working with us to do everything possible to slow down transmission. if there is a concern about masks being clean, remember, we have to change our underwear every day, we have to take baths every day. you change these things, you make sure that what you're using is appropriate, that it fits, that it's comfortable and that it works. and when you do it that way, when you do things properly, you're going to have a reduction in transmission. this is well known. that's why we use masks in hospitals and have done for tens of years. i mean, it's really known to be an

our randi kaye joins us now from palm beach county, with more. so what more do we know about what governor desantis is doing? >> well, as you know, anderson, the governor had issued this executive order, in recent days, which was banning masks mandates. he did threaten to withhold funding from schools if they defied that order. and as you said, today, he took it a step further. he said the state board of ed would withhold salaries for sooufrp intendants and school board members who tried to push through mask mandates. the governor's office saying they are trying to tailor punishment to decision makers, who led to the violation of law. that's the exact quote. meanwhile, anderson, already, at least four school districts here, in the state of florida, are defying the governor's order. including broward county, which is the second-largest school district in the state. and also, just today, leon county, in tallahassee, the superintendent there had -- he -- he has now issued a mask mandate. but earlier, he had sent a letter to the governor asking for a

randi kaye joins us now from florida with the latest.hat's gone on with these deaths in -- in broward county? >> anderson, this all took place in a 24-hour span earlier-this week. three educators from the broward county school district, as well as a graduate from that district who had close ties to the district, all of this information coming to us from the teacher's union president. and she says that the three educators who died were not vaccinated. it's unclear, if the graduate who died was vaccinated. but we are learning, a little bit more about those who died. all of them were women. one was a 48-year-old teacher from pinewood elementary. another was a 49-year-old teacher from dillard elementary. and a 49-year-old teacher -- teaching assistant from dillard elementary, as well. the union president, also, tells me that two others are hospitalized. one is a teaching assistant, who was vaccinated and ended up in the icu. she was quite sick but i'm told she is doing better. and also, another teacher, who is hospitalized. unclear, if that

. >> i'm randi kaye in palm beach county, florida, where we're seeing a spike in coronavirus cases in last week or so, more than 110,000 cases here in the state of florida. the average daily average is about 15,000 that we've seen in the last day or so. there's also a lot of concern as students return to the classrooms. the governor here has said there is no mask mandate allowed. he's issued an executive order banning a mask mandate in the classrooms. he wants parents to be able to decide. meanwhile, over the last week or so, more than 10,000 children under the age of 12 have tested positive for covid. >>> i'm natasha chen in atlanta. several school districts in the metro area are resuming in-person classes skoon, including dekalb county here today and atlanta public schools later this week. those school districts do have a mask requirement. but some other school systems, including ones that start class next week, do not. meanwhile, a charter school in atlanta that started their school year last tuesday already have more than dozen positive test cases resulting in more than 100 studen

. >> randi kaye has been closely following the mask wars in schools and has the latest. >> mask in classbb county, georgia this afternoon parents faced off on the issue of masks. in this school district masks are optional. >> our children our choice. our children our choice. >> vaccinated! mask up! >> despite the science that supports the efficacy of masks, this protester believes they are dangerous for children. >> the germs that they're just having to breathe in and out day in and day out from the masks to me is more harmful than the mask -- of not having a mask on. >> reporter: this was the scene recently in warren county kentucky where masks are required in school. >> i've got a grandson that i have custody of and that is my choice. >> kids don't need to breathe carbon dioxide all day. kids need to learn facial recognition, how to communicate. >> i think children should wear a mask also. >> reporter: in williamson county, tennessee outside nashville -- parents clashed at a recent protest. >> we know who you are! we know who you are! >> you can live freely but we will find you. >> you