WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida reported an increase of 4,752 cases – the lowest since late June – and a U.S.-high 73 deaths – as the daily positive rate was the lowest in two weeks, 12.70, and total tests were dramatically down, the Florida Department of Health announced Monday.
In other good news, the first-time positivity rate for new tests was 9.09 percent, the lowest in 14 days and almost a percentage point below the 10 percent target rate. Also, the increase in hospitalizations was 216 compared with double that several days ago.
Most state testing sites were closed Friday and Saturday because of the impending arrival of Tropical Storm Isaias, and a state official told WPTV there is a minimum of one day between being tested and the results being reported by the labs to the department. Also, there are private test sites.
On Sunday, the cases increase was 7,104 , the lowest since 6,336 on July 6 after the Independence Day weekend. The last lowest cases low was 3,286 on June 23.
Palm Beach County's fatalities increased by 12 to 845, the second highest in the state after no change Sunday and a record-tying 21 Tuesday.
On the Treasure Coast, the state lowered Martin's death toll by one man to 77 as St. Lucie increased by 1 to 125 and Indian River remained at 48. Okeechobee stayed at 6. Miami-Dade climbed by 25, including the death of a 16-year-old girl, and Broward rose by 3.
The death toll on Sunday increased by 62 after 77 in back-to-back days last Sunday and Monday. The previous lowest death increase was 35 on July 13.
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 7,157 and in seventh place in the nation. Nonresidents' deaths remained at 122 with a total death count of 7,363.
Florida's deaths have hit triple digits all within the past few weeks.
State and county increases represent deaths received by the state Sunday 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 146.
Texas reported the second-most deaths, 37, after a state-record 322 Thursday and is in eighth place behind Florida. California was next with 32 deaths and is third overall.
In the U.S., Florida represented 12.9 percent of the deaths and 13.0 percent of the cases Monday.
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 491,884, second in the nation. In one week, cases have risen by 64,000 at 15.1 percent.
California is in first place overall with 514,901 cases, including the addition of 5,739 Monday, second in the nation for daily increase. Texas had the most cases, 5,839, and is third overall behind Florida with 442,014. New York, which was the leader during the pandemic until two weeks ago, is at 416,843, with 695 more.
In South Florida, there were 40 of the 73 deaths reported Monday for a total of 3,543 at 49.5 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent. For months the percentage has been above half.
Pinellas is in fourth place with 442, a rise of 3, and Hillsborough climbed by 1 to 348. Lee has 300, with no change for two days in a row.
Florida has had the most cases in the nation for several days recently.
The last time there were cases more than 10,000 was Saturday, July 26 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 3,758,496, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 17.5 percent of Florida's population, though some people tested more than once.
The overall positive rate was a record 13.09, percent compared with 13.07 Sunday.
Several weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 12.7 percent of 60,994 coronavirus or anti-bodies tests reported by labs Sunday – the lowest in two weeks – after 13.44 the day before with 87,974, 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 week. The second lowest was 77,148 on July 20.
The record test total was 142,964 July 11.
In Palm Beach County, the daily positive rate 9.8 percent after 8.2 the day before, which was the lowest in two weeks. The high was 13.2 percent two weeks ago.
Miami-Dade's figure of 12.5 percent was the lowest in two weeks after 15.3 the day before. Miami-Dade's highest was 26.4 on July 8. In Broward it was another two-week low, 8.4 after 12.0 the day before.
Elsewhere, St. Lucie was 7.1 percent, which was the lowest in 14 days after 11.6 the day before as well as Martin at 4.8, one day after a two-week low of 4.3 percent and in Indian River it spiked to 13.5, a two-week high, after 5.6 percent, a 14-day low. Okeechobee was at 12.5 percent compared with 10.4 the day before and a low of 9.1 five days earlier.
The state reported 9.0.9 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Sunday – the lowest in two weeks – compared with 9.28 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 Sunday. 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 324 compared with 372 the day before. The record was 1,171 July 5 for a total of 34,550 including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases increased 954 compared with 1,483 the day before, and Broward at 556 vs. 998. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was 46 in St. Lucie, 7 in Martin, 32 in Indian River and 13 in Okeechobee.
In one week, Palm Beach County has risen by 3,592 cases for a 11.6 percent gain. Miami-Dade has risen by 16,339 at 15.2 percent and Broward by 7,747 at 13.4 percent.
Over seven days, Martin climbed by 193 cases for 5.6 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 710 for 15.6 percent, Indian River by 309 for 15.2 percent and Okeechobee by 122 for 14.6 percent.
Deaths
Deaths rose by 1,226 in the state over seven days for 20.7 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 87 for 11.5 percent. Two months ago the one-week figure was in the mid 200s. The U.S. figure is 5.2 percent with the world at 6.1 percent.
Miami-Dade climbed to 1,694, which is 290 more in one week. Broward increased to 748 with a rise of 141 in one week.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 20 states, including Kentucky at 744 with 2 more. Nevada is at 847 after gaining 12.
The state on Monday identified 12 fatalities in Palm Beach County with 7 women (62, 62, 67, 76, 85, 92, 94) and 5 men (65, 69, 78, 79, 92).
Tests
Palm Beach County has 34,550 cases out of 265,127 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 123,644 positive cases out of 645,835 tested for 19.1 percent, and Broward is second with 58,531 cases and 412,071 tested for 14.2 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 3,644 of 24,634 for 14.8 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 5,236 out of 40,573 for 13.0 percent, Indian River with 2,340 of 25,790 for 9.1 percent and Okeechobee 958 of 6,282 for 15.2 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 neared 697,000 deaths and passed 18.4 million cases Monday.
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 333 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 480 per million. New York, which represents 20.6 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,686 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 89.4 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 19 deaths in the 15-24 class with an increase of 2, the 16-year-old girl from Miami and 17-year-old boy from Manatee. 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 had no change.
A total of 2,377 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 17 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 8,197 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 82, and 165 were hospitalized, which was an increase of 1. From ages 5-14, there are 18,933, an increase of 245 with 122 in the hospital at one time, which is an increase of 1.
From the infant to 54 age group, 354,089 of the 486,384 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 542 have died, an increase of 9, for a 0.15 death percentage.
From infant to 64, there are 416,749 cases. A total of 1,260 have died, an increase of 5, for a 0.30 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 8,616 an increase of 93. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 57to 6,160 followed by Boca Raton at 4676 up from 4,644, Boynton Beach at 3,046 from 3,024 and Delray Beach at 2,320 vs. 2,352. A total of 716 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 3,118, an increase of 28, followed by Fort Pierce at 1,890, up 11, and Stuart with 1,780 vs. 1,778.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, remained at 363, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 27,366 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 24,322 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 2,629 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 17 compared with 9 the day before; 322 in Martin, which was no change; 329 in St. Lucie with an increase of 7, Indian River increased by 2 to 168 and Okeechobee remained at 89.
Long-term care
Forty-five percent of the deaths, 3,066 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 347 in Palm Beach County, which is second most in the state behind 607 in Miami-Dade. The state increase was 21 and in Palm Beach County it was 5 more.
National
Since the first death was reported five months ago on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 159,929, an increase of 568 Monday after 467 Sunday and 1,123 Saturday, according to Worldometers.info.
Johns Hopkins reports 155,379, a gain of 538.
Cases reached 4,862,174, with an increase of 48,622, according to Worldometers.info. They have exceeded 70,000 seven times, including a record 78,407 one week ago Friday.
Last Monday in the U.S., there were 597 more deaths and 61,770 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 7,876 at 5.2 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,791, including 11 more Monday, 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 8, No. 4 Massachusetts 10, No. 5 Illinois 9, No. 6 Pennsylvania 7, No. 9 Michigan 10, No. 10 Connecticut 5.
No. 12 Georgia gained 2.
No. 24 Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, gained 11 deaths.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 13.0percent of the 4,366 additional deaths Monday and 22.8 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 39,890 at 6.1 percent.
Last Monday's death increase was 4,193.
Cases increased by 199,312 behind a record 289,609 on July 24.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 572 Monday, which was second in the world, after a record 1,554 Wednesday for a total of 94,702. Brazil added 17,988 cases five days after record 70,869 for a total of 2,751,665 – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 266 more deaths late Monday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 for a total of 48,012. 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 810 deaths, the highest in the world, to rise to 38,971 and in fifth place. The Asian nation also reported 50,629 cases after a record 57,704 Friday for a third-place total of 1,855,331 behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased went from 8 to 9 with 46,210. 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 12 deaths, among the lowest since the pandemic like Britain. No. 7 France reported 22 and No. 8 Spain 9.
No. 9 Peru reported 197 and No. 10 Iran had 215.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 856,264, including an additional 5,394. The nation gained 79 deaths for 11th place.
No. 16 Canada added 2 deaths for a total of 8,947 as well as 147 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," reported 5 new deaths for a total of 5,744 in 22nd and 43 cases. Neighboring Norway, reported its first death since July 17 to rise to 267, as well as 66 more cases.
No. 26 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 36 cases Tuesday after 127 Friday, the most since early April.
Japan added 1 death for 1,012 as well as 1,998 cases, shattering the record of 1,464 Saturday.