WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida reported an increase of 62 deaths and 7,104 cases – the lowest in one month – as the daily positive rate was the lowest in two weeks, 13.44, and total tests were down, the Florida Department of Health announced Sunday.
In other good news, the first-time positivity rate for new tests was 9.28 percent, the lowest in 14 days. Also, the increase in hospitalizations was 178 compared with 439 the day before.
Palm Beach County's fatalities remained at 833, the second highest in the state after 18 Saturday and a record-tying 21 Tuesday.
On the Treasure Coast, the state lowered St. Lucie's death toll by one woman to 124 as Martin increased by 3 to 78 and Indian River remained at 48. Okeechobee stayed at 6. Miami-Dade climbed by 22 and Broward rose by 3.
The previous lowest death increase was 35 on July 13 and the smallest cases rise was 6,336 on July 6 after the Independence Day weekend.
Until Saturday's death increase of 179, the state record had been broken four days in a row: 257 Friday, 253 Thursday, 216 Wednesday and 186 Tuesday.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the toll has climbed to 7,084 and in seventh place in the nation. Nonresidents' deaths remained at 122 with a total death count of 7,206.
Florida's deaths have hit triple digits all within the past few weeks.
The previous time there were under 100 deaths was back-to-back 77 last Sunday and Monday, which were the lowest since the 35 last month.
State and county increases represent deaths received by the state Saturday and not the number of fatalities that occurred then. The day someone dies and when it is received by the state can lag for several days. So far, the date with the most deaths July 17 with 143.
The state's list of deaths and cases Sunday noted 64 deaths were added since the previous day's report and 2 residents were removed, including the one in St. Lucie, because they were "ruled out" as coronavirus-related for a net increase of 62.
On Sunday, California reported the most additional deaths, 132, and is in third place overall. Louisiana was third-most with 57 behind Florida and 12th place. Texas, which reported the most deaths for three days in a row, including a record 322 Thursday, didn't report any data "due to a scheduled upgrade to the system that processes electronic lab reports."
In the U.S., Florida represented 13.5 percent of the deaths and 14.5 percent of the cases Sunday.
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 2.3 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 487,132, second in the nation. In one week, cases have risen by 64,000 at 15.1 percent.
California is in first place with 511,869 cases, including the addition of 9,356 Saturday, first in the nation for daily increase ahead of Florida, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins. Texas is third overall behind Florida with 447,222. New York, which was the leader during the pandemic until two weeks ago, is at 416,298, with 467 more.
In South Florida, there were 27 of the 62 deaths reported Sunday for a total of 3,503 at 49.4 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent. For months the percentage has been above half.
Pinellas is in fourth place with 439, a rise of 2, and Hillsborough climbed by 6 to 347. Lee has 300, with was no change.
Florida has had the most cases in the nation for several days recently, including 9,642 Saturday.
The last time there were cases more than 10,000 was last Saturday's rise of 12,299.
Cases in Florida had stayed below 2,000 until June 13 with 2,581 and they often were under 1,000 with the last one of three digits 966 on June 8.
The cases record was 15,300 was July 5 – the highest daily figure ever in the United States. During the height of the pandemic New York also surpassed 11,000. The second highest is 13,965 on July 16.
Testing in Florida has dramatically ramped up from just a few at select sites to massive places throughout Florida as well as nursing homes, jails and farm workers. The total now is 3,726,562, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 17.3 percent of Florida's population, though some people tested more than once.
The overall positive rate was a record 13.07, percent compared with 13.03 Saturday.
Several weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 13.44 percent of 87,975 coronavirus or anti-bodies tests reported by labs Saturday – the lowest in two weeks – after 15.09 the day before with 100,563, a record 20.71 percent on July 8 when there were 51,686 tests.
The total number of tests was the second lowest in two weeks behind 77,148 on July 20. Most state testing sites were closed Friday and Saturday before the tropical storm though it takes several days for the state to receive test results.
The record test total was 142,964 July 11.
In Palm Beach County, the daily positive rate was the lowest in two weeks, 8.2 percent compared with 8.8 the day before. The high during was 13.4 percent two weeks ago.
Miami-Dade's figure of 15.2 was nearly the lowest in two weeks with 14.9 two days earlier. Miami-Dade's highest was 26.4 on July 8. In Broward it was 12.1 percent compared with the lowest over two weeks of 10.8 percent two days ago.
Elsewhere, St. Lucie was 11.0 compared with a two-week low of 8.7 percent on July 21 as well as two-week lows in Martin at 4.3 percent and in Indian River 5.6 percent. Okeechobee was at 10.4 percent compared with the low of 9.1 percent four days earlier.
The state reported 9.28 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Saturday – the lowest in two weeks – compared with 11.04 the day before.
With more testing and no requirements for someone to take a test, the median age is at 40, but 42 for tests reported Saturday. In addition, the state mortality rate is 1.5 percent among residents but among those under 55 it is 0.15 percent.
Cases
In Palm Beach County, new cases were 372 compared with 580 the day before. The record was 1,171 July 5 for a total of 34,226 including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases increased 1,483 compared with 2,745 the day before, and Broward at 998 vs. 2,388. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was 104 in St. Lucie, 11 in Martin, 32 in Indian River and 25 in Okeechobee.
In one week, Palm Beach County has risen by 3,991 cases for a 13.2 percent gain. Miami-Dade has risen by 17,935 at 17.1 percent and Broward by 7,445 at 15.1 percent.
Over seven days, Martin climbed by 217 cases for 6.3 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 809 for 15.8 percent, Indian River by 328 for 16.6 percent and Okeechobee by 133 for 16.4 percent.
Deaths
Deaths rose by 1,230 in the state over seven days for 21.0 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 78 for 10.3 percent. Two months ago the one-week figure was in the mid 200s. The U.S. figure is 5.3 percent with the world at 5.9 percent.
Miami-Dade climbed to 1,669, which is 281 more in one week. Broward increased to 745 with a rise of 140 in one week.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 20 states, including Kentucky at 740 with 4 more. Nevada is at 835 after gaining 5.
The state on Sunday identified four deaths in Martin through it reported only an increase of three: three men (75, 87, 90) and a woman (80).
Tests
Palm Beach County has 34,226 cases out of 263,113 total tested for 13.0 percent overall, not including those awaiting tests and inconclusive. Anything 10.0 percent and above is considered out of "target range" by the health department.
Miami-Dade leads with 122,690 positive cases out of 640,776 tested for 19.1 percent, and Broward is second with 57,975 cases and 407,967 tested for 14.2 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 3,637 of 24,554 for 14.8 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 5,210 out of 40,275 for 12.9 percent, Indian River with 2,302 of 25,596 for 9.0 percent and Okeechobee 945 of 6,232 for 14.2 percent.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate, which compares positive cases against deaths, has been trending down in the state.
It is 1.5 percent in the state for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 3.3 percent in the United States and 3.8 percent worldwide, which passed 692,000 deaths and passed 18.2 million cases Sunday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 2.4 percent, compared with Broward at 1.3 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.4 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 2.4 percent in St. Lucie, 2.1 percent in Martin, 2.1 percent in Indian River and 0.6 percent in Okeechobee.
Florida has 330 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 478 per million. New York, which represents 20.7 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,685 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 88.8 per million.
Age breakdown
The youngest deaths are a 9-year-old girl from Putnam as well as the two 11-year-olds, a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward, who are the only three in the 5-14 age class.
There are 17 deaths in the 15-24 class with no change. Broward includes a 20-year-old man and 3 women 22 as well as a 16-year-old girl from Lee, a 17-year-old boy from Pasco and a 22-year-old woman from Palm Beach County.
Fifty-two people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus, which also had no change.
A total of 2,360 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 24 in one day.
Ninety-two percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 62. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 26 percent age 55 and older and 6 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 8,117 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 137, and 164 were hospitalized, which was an increase of 2. From ages 5-14, there are 18,688, an increase of 405 with 121 in the hospital at one time, which is an increase of 5.
From the infant to 54 age group, 350,752 of the 481,668 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 533 have died, an increase of 3, for a 0.15 death percentage.
From infant to 64, there are 422,729 cases. A total of 1,255 have died, an increase of 8, for a 0.30 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 8,523, an increase of 95. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 70 to 6,103 followed by Boca Raton at 4644 up from 4,471, Boynton Beach at 3,024 from 2,982 and Delray Beach at 2,320 vs. 2,295. A total of 710 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 3,090, an increase of 72, followed by Fort Pierce at 1,879, up 29, and Stuart with 1,778 vs. 1,772.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 1 to 363, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 27,150 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 24,064 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 2,612 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 9 compared with 5 the day before; 322 in Martin, an increase of 2; 322 in St. Lucie with a decrease of 1, Indian River remained 166 and Okeechobee went from 87 to 89.
Long-term care
Forty-five percent of the deaths, 3,045 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 342 in Palm Beach County, which is second most in the state behind 607 in Miami-Dade. The state increase was 19 and in Palm Beach County it was no change.
National
Since the first death was reported five months ago on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 158,365, an increase of 467 Sunday after 1,123 compared Saturday, according to Worldometers.info.
Johns Hopkins reports 154,841, a gain of 522.
Cases reached 4,813,647, with an increase of 49,038, according to Worldometers.info. They have exceeded 70,000 seven times, including a record 78,407 one week ago Friday.
Last Sunday in the U.S., there were 462 more deaths and 56,505 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 7,911 at 5.3 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,765, including 7 more Sunday, among the lowest since the outbreak, after a high of 799 in April.
Among other states in the top 10 for deaths: No. 2 New Jersey with 6, No. 4 Massachusetts 12, No. 5 Illinois 14, No. 6 Pennsylvania 4, No. 9 Michigan nine, No. 10 Connecticut no data.
No. 12 Georgia gained 57.
No. 24 Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, didn't report any additional deaths.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 10.6 percent of the 4,404 additional deaths Sunday and 22.9 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 39,422 at 6.1 percent.
Last Sunday's death increase was 4,354.
Cases increased by 217,901 behind a record 289,609 on July 24.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 467 Sunday, which was second in the world, after a record 1,554 Wednesday for a total of 94,130. Brazil added 24,801 cases four days after record 70,869 for a total of 2,733,677 – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 274 more deaths late Sunday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 with 47,746. On Friday, Mexico moved past United Kingdom into third place. For the first time since the pandemic, the three nations with the most deaths are all in the Western Hemisphere.
India added 758 deaths to rise to 38,161 and in fifth place. The Asian nation also reported 52,783 cases after a record 57,704 Friday for a third-place total of 1,804,702 behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased from 74 to 8 with 46,201. The daily high was 1,172. No. 6 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 8 deaths, among the lowest since the pandemic like Britain. No. 7 France and No. 8 Spain didn't report any data.
No. 9 Peru reported 206 and No. 10 Iran had 208.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 850,870, including an additional 5,427. The nation gained 70 deaths for 11th place.
No. 16 Canada added 6 deaths for a total of 8,941 as well as 287 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," reported no data over the weekend for a total of 5,743 in 20th and 45 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, hasn't reported a death since July 17, to remain at 255 as well as 15 more cases.
No. 25 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 43 cases Monday after 127 Friday, the most since early April.
Japan, which passed four digits on Wednesday, is at 1,011, who no new deaths as well as 853 cases after a record 1,464 Saturday.