WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For the first time in nearly three months, most of South Florida is no longer designated "low" for coronavirus transmission by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with Miami-Dade the only state "high," where masks are encouraged indoors.
The CDC releases a weekly county transmission update on Thursdays. In the nationwide weekly COVID-19 tracker released Saturday, 19.2% of counties are "high" with 34.9% "medium" and 55.6% low.
Moving to "medium" are Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee, Broward counties with Indian River County still "low."
Last week Miami-Dade County was one of 17 counties in "medium." The "low" counties are scattered in southwest Florida, east coast north of St. Lucie County and the Panhandle.
Sept. 30 was the last time Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Broward and Okeechobee counties were listed as "medium." Indian River County last was "medium" Sept. 8.
At one time most of South Florida was "high."
In cases per 100,000 South Florida counties increasing are Palm Beach (111.04 vs. 99.48), Indian River, Okeechobee, Broward, Miami-Dade counties. Down are St. Lucie and Martin counties.
Positivity rates are up in Palm Beach (15.58% vs. 15.46%), Martin, Indian River, Okeechobee and Miami-Dade counties. Decreasing are St. Lucie and Broward counties.
Deaths past week were Miami-Dade County with 19, Broward County with 17 and all others less than 10.
The CDC also issues weekly data on deaths, cases, tests and vaccines on Thursday after suspended daily reports on Oct. 20.
In the week report, the CDC reported there are 83,600 deaths of residents in Florida, which is an increase of 221 in one week with 187 a week ago and 99 two weeks ago, the lowest since 64 April 1, 2020, less than one month after the first fatality in the state. Florida's record 2,468 on sept. 22, 2021.
Florida is third in the nation behind New York with 279 and California 230. Florida's deaths represented 7% of the 2,952 U.S. total.
Residents' cases have reached 7,312,663, including 22,590 in the past week, the most since 22,947 Sept. 21, and fifth in the nation behind California 80,727, New York 46,348, Texas 31,043, Illinois 22,296. One week ago it was 19,960 with 9,904 Oct. 19, the least since 8,748 March 30. The record: 429,311 on Jan. 19.
Florida has 4.8% of the 526,287 cases in the past week. The state reprsents 6.5% of the population.
Florida is averaging 19,576 tests a day, which doesn't count at-home ones not reported to the state.
In vaccinations, Florida's one-shot rate for the entire population is 82.1% but it is 93.5% 18 and older, 91.6% 12 and older, 86.5% 5 and older. For the completed primary the total is 69.2% with 78% 18 and older, 77.4% 12 and older, 72.9% 5 and older. For the updated (bivalent booster), the figure is 9.8% of those 5 and older, 11.3% 18 and older, 10.6% 12 and older and 25.7% 65 and older.
The bi-weekly state report comes out Dec. 30.
The WPTV updates data from the CDC and state.