WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida became the third state in the nation to pass 70,000 residents' coronavirus deaths, taking 133 days to rise by at least 10,000, according to data posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday.
Also Monday, daily residents cases' dropped under 2,000 for the first time in nearly three months with 1,875 posted Monday and 1,412 Sunday, the lowest since 1,329 reported Dec. 5. And hospitalizations fell under 3,000 for the first time in two months with 2,922 reported Monday by the U.S. Department and Human Services, the fewest since 2,406 Dec. 27.
The cumulative totals are 70,084 deaths and 5,806,510 infections. Florida is behind California and Texas in both categories.
In one week fatalities rose 1,130, compared with 1,044 the previous seven days with the four-day increase 531. Other states with more than 70,000 are California with 84,700, gaining 708 in three days, and Texas with 84,549 adding 33 in one day. New York is fourth at 67,344 with a one-day gain of 14.
On Oct. 17, two months before the emergence of the omicron variant, the CDC reported 60,044 deaths. It took 47 days to rise from 50,051 on Aug. 31, 2021. During the delta surge, deaths took 30 days to rise more than 10,000 from 40,101 on Aug. 1, 2021. It was 173 days from Feb. 9, 2021 at 30,014, 68 days from Dec. 3, 2020 at 20,002, 24 days from Aug. 5, 2020 at 10,040. On July 12, 2020, the total was 5,065 with the two first deaths announced on March 1 but reported on march 4 by the CDC.
In past seven days California reported the most to CDC at 1,119 with Texas at 1,100 and Ohio at 1,087. Florida reported 43, but those only occurred in the past week.
During a spike, cases first rise, then hospitalizations, then deaths. Then, the process reveres with less infection.
Cases in Florida have declined significantly from 76,619 reported on Jan. 8.
The last time cases were under 2,000: on Dec. 7 at 1,960.
In the past seven days: California led with 74,479 cases followed by Texas with 34,016 and Florida 20,077.
Florida's seven-day moving daily average is 2,868, lowest since reported 2,615 Dec. 13.
Florida passed 5 million cases on Jan. 15, 4 million on Dec. 28, 2021; 3 million on Aug. 19, 2021, 2 million March 27, 2021 and the first million on Dec. 2, 2020. The first cases were reported in Florida on March 1, 2020.
Testing also has declined from a record 276,593 on Jan. 3 to 66,690 most recently on Feb. 21.
Likewise the weekly first-time positivity rate has declined to 5.6%compared with a record 31.3% on Jan. 7. Palm Beach County's 4.6% is below the target 5.0%, according to the Florida Department of Health weekly report released Friday.
Hospitalizations now are well off the peak of 12,651 on Sept. 11 and the record 17,295 Aug. 29. The record low: 1,228 Nov. 29.
Of the 258 hospitals reporting, 5.05% of the available beds are occupied with coronavirus patients, a decrease o 1,201 f from a week ago at 4,123. The total beds in use: 45,807 (77.93%).
In the U.S.., hospitalizations dropped to 47,112 (6.12) after a record 160,113 Jan 20. Until the spike record was 142,315 on Jan. 14 last year. The high during the delta surge was 103,896 Sept. 1.
Florida is fourth in U.S. with covid hospitalizations with California first with California first with 4,773 (7.35%), Texas second with 4,644 (7.01%), Georgia third with 3,680 (8.97%). North Carolina is fifth with 2,317 (10.08%),