WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It’s a sign that Florida could be on its way back to normal. COVID case numbers and hospitalizations continue to drop throughout the Sunshine State.
According to the Department of Health, Florida is now averaging 6,768 cases a day, which is the lowest since July.
St. Lucie County Critical Care Physician, Dr. Mark Pamer said he's also seeing a decrease in ICU patients by more than 60%.
"So, there's been a decline in the local cases that's been noticeable to mostly everybody in healthcare," Pamer said.
The latest trends he said, are attributed to a few different factors.
"There's more people vaccinated," said the doctor. Unfortunately, many of the at-risk people succumb to the disease, but also, we now have the monoclonal antibody. And so from the outpatient setting and a person who may have risk factors for hospitalization, rather than waiting to see how they're going to do and if they do bad having to have them admitted to the hospital, we can get them the monoclonal antibody, even same day most of the time, and that's resulting in a rapid turnaround in their symptoms and keeping them out of the hospital."
Despite the positive changes, he warns there is still work left to do.
"It's important that we have to keep going because the rates are coming down somewhat, it doesn't mean that they're not going to go back up if everybody stopped so that we may not have another very come in, which was as bad or worse than delta. And this isn't fearmongering, but we have to finish the job."
To help prevent another surge, Dr. Pamer recommends people should continue to wear face coverings, social distance, and get vaccinated.
Next month Dr. Pamer is partnering with the City of Port St. Lucie to host a vaccine clinic.
The event will be held on Oct. 8, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Temple Beth El Israel located at 551 SW Bethany Drive.