WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's death toll from COVID-19 has topped 90,000 residents with cases and the infection rate the most in several months but a fraction at its peak.
On Friday, the Florida Department of Health released its biweekly report, which showed 90,232 deaths since the first two were reported in March 2020. On Sept. 12, 2022, the toll passed 80,000, and seven months earlier it was 70,000. The population of Florida is 21.78 million.
The two-week increase was 327 (163.5 weekly) compared with 340 two weeks ago (170 weekly). Eight weeks ago the figure was 179 (79.4 weekly). On March 26, 2022 the increase was 1,167 (504 weekly).
The weekly record was 2,468 Sept. 17, 2021. The most daily deaths were 434 on Aug. 27, 2021, during the delta spike, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state went to biweekly reports in March 2022 after going to weekly ones on June 4, 2021.
Florida doesn't list increased deaths, just new ones that occurred in the past week.
As of May 11, 2023, weekly cases, testing, transmission data will no longer be available with the CDC. For death data, CDC has transitioned to displaying provisional COVID-19 deaths reported to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Other key indicators also are spiking, according to the state.
The state's cases are 7,758,207 residents with 23,960 new ones in the past week, the most since 24,354 on Feb. 2. One week ago it was 23,503 and two weeks ago 18,534. On Dec. 30, it was 34,247.
The daily record was 76,618 cases on Jan. 8, 2021, amid the omicron surge.
The positivity rate is 22.8% with a week ago 24.4%, the most since 26.8% July 20, 2022. It was 7.7% May 18, the least since 7.4% May 11. The record high was 31.3% Feb. 6, 2022. It was 1.9% March 18, 2022, lowest since went to weekly reports June 4, 2021.
Hospitalizations are at 1,496 through Aug. 19, which is 2.8% of the beds available; one week after 1,361 (2.57%). Seven weeks ago it was 688 (1.37%), the least since record-keeping began July 2020, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The record high was 17,295 (29.35%) Aug. 29, 2021.
Florida has the second-most hospitalized behind California with 1,513 (2.55%) and ahead of Texas with 968 (1.74). The total hospitalizations in the U.S.: 11,393 (1.7%) with the record 160,133 (20.6%) Jan. 22, 2021.
Updated data from the state and CDC are available on the wptv.com website.
An earlier version of this report listed the incorrect two-week increase.