WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — All South Florida counties, except for Okeechobee, are in the highest of three COVID-19 community levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its weekly update posted Thursday.
Joining Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade in "high" are Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River with Okeechobee remaining at "medium." Two weeks ago Indian River was "low."
The Tampa-St. Petersburg and Orlando metro areas along with Alachua where the University of Florida is located are listed as "high."
The levels have different commendations to halt the spread out coronavirus, including mask wearing indoors recommended for the most severe level and additional measures for high-risk people.
For medium and low, you are encouraged to "wear a mask if you have symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19." At the medium level, "if you are at high risk for severe illness, consider wearing a mask indoors in public and taking additional precaution.
The first criteria is cases per 100,000 people in the past week with 200 or more considered high. Palm Beach County is 315.35 up from 310.3, St. Lucie 207.84 vs. 178.5, Martin 226.71 vs. 196.27, Indian River 263.88 vs. 220.73, Okeechobee 59.29 vs. 66.3, Broward 416.48 vs. 401.85, Miami-Dade 667.52 vs. 588.01.
Another ctieria is hospital admissions per 100,000, which is high if 20 or more. Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee are 16.4; Indian River 14.2; Browand and Miami-Dade 20.4.
And the percent of staffed inpatient beds with covid for a weekly average is 15% or more. Palm Beach, St. Lucie,, Martin, Okeechobee are 4.2%, Indian River 5.3%, Broward and Miami=Dade 5.9%.
The CDC determines an overall high level by counting the higher of the two hospitalization rates.
The high categories in three counties reflect surging cases, positivty rates and hospitalizations.
Cases statewide are at the highest level since mid-February (68,378 past week according to CDC), the positivity rate of 13.4% (two weeks ago) is greatest since early February, hospitalizations (2,896 Thursday) are the most since March 1 and deaths' increase (270 for 14 days two weeks ago) is up from 230 two weeks ago. The statewill releae its bi-weekly report Friday.
In the state report last released, cases' latest figure is more than 20,000 above 39,374 one week ago with 32,956 two weeks ago and 8,040 eight weeks ago, which is the lowest since the weekly reports began. The last time the weekly figure was this high: 102,953 the week ending Feb. 11. The record is 400,000.
The current seven-day rolling daily average is 9,838 with 10,126, the most since . The figure 1,127 on March 22 is the lowest since 1,106 June 8, 2020. The record: 65,277 Jan. 11 (456,946 in a week).
On Thursday, 13,181 cases were posted, which is most since May 10 13,395, which then was the highest since 15,427 Sept. 12. One week ago it was 11,380. The daily record: 76,609 Jan. 8.
The CDC lists overall positivity rates, with the target 5.0% or less, as Palm Beach 18.89%, St. Lucie 17.25%, Martin 16.75%, Indian River 17.01%, Okeechobee 4.01%, Broward 22.48%, Miami-Dade 26.53%.
Hospitalizations are the most since 2,880 (5.12) March 1. One week ago it was 2,352 (4.01%) and April 11 it was 892 (1.58%), least since record-keeping began July 2020, according to Department of Health and Human Services. The record was 17,295 (2.35%) on Aug. 29 during the delta variant surge.
Nonresidents' deaths are 74,588, which is a one-week increase of 150 compared with 140 a week ago, according to CDC data from Florida.
The state report doesn't list county deaths' data but the CDC issues weekly reports with 14 in Palm Beach County, 11 in Broward, 14 in Miami-Dade and less than 10 in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee.''
In March, the CDC started designating "community levels." Since the pandemic, the CDC had "community transmission," which is based on cases and tests, and is broken into "low," "moderate," "substantial" and "high." The entire state, including all of South Florida is listed as "high" except a few counties in northern Florida "substantial" and only "moderate" in Liberty. None are "low."