WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's coronavirus statistics have returned to levels before the Delta variant ravaged the state during the summer with cases averaging a little more than 2,000 per day, deaths' increase under 1,000 weekly, first-time positivity rate 1.6 percentage points below the target 5% and hospitalizations around 2,500.
Florida's weekly infection percentage dropped to 3.4%, which is the lowest since 3.3% on June 18, and the third week in a row under the target. Infections increased by 15,684 (2,24`1 daily), which is a 22.6% decline in one week, and one-tenth of a record 152,760 six weeks ago and the lowest since 10,105 June 18. Deaths rose by 944 (135 daily) one week after 1,252, a record 2,468 five weeks ago and lowest since 616 on Aug. 6, the last time under 1,000 according to the state Health Department's weekly report released Friday.
Also, the 2,525 hospitalizations are one-seventh of record 17,295 on Aug. 19 and much less than one week ago at 3,257. That current total is the lowest since mid-July. More than four-fifths of adults (80.5%) have at least one vaccination shot, a rise of 0.7 percentage in one week. The weekly first-time infection positivity rate is 0.4 percentage point down in a week and one-sixth of a record 20.5% 10 weeks ago.
All South Floridacounties are below the target 5%: Palm Beach County 3.4%, St. Lucie 4.7%, Martin 4.6%, Okeechobee 4.3%, Indian River 2.4%, Broward 2.9% and Miami-Dade 2.2%, which has the most deaths in the state at 8,768.
The 30-39 age group has the most new cases at 2,360 one week after 3,138. The under 12 age groups has 2,293 new cases with a 4.6% first-time positivity rate, the highest of the groups. In the 12-19 age group the positivity rate is second highest at 4.3% with 1,436 new cases and only 56% fully vaccinated (the youngest age to get the shots). Conversely, the positivity rate is 3.0% for those 65 and older with 89% fully vaccinated.
In data released by the Florida Department of Health, the cumulative death toll is 56,803, the fourth state to pass the 50,000 milestone and ahead of New York in third place. Cases are 3,635,126 with the state among only three topping the 3 million milestone.
And based upon a CDC cumulative death total of 58,608 from the previous day, the most recent daily increase is 195.
Deaths can take several days or even weeks to be reported to the state so the figures will fluctuate.
The state set a record for most deaths in one day: 407 on Aug. 27. Until the recent spike, the record was 242 on Aug. 4, 2020.
The record increase was 276 on Aug. 11 when the state was giving daily reports.
The highest seven-day moving average is 379 daily (2,653 weekly) on Sept. 1. Until the spike, the record was 227 (1,589 weekly) only Aug. 5, 2020.
Last year the highest weekly seven-day increase was 1,266 (181 daily) on Aug. 16, 2020. The first-time daily positivity rate last year was 9.04%. Earlier this year it was less than 5%.
Until Friday's report four weeks ago, deaths had surpassed 2,000 four weeks in a row: 2,340 after 2,468, 2,448, 2,345. Last week it was 1,719. Last week's increase was 1,252.
The state listed 106 deaths occurred in the past week with 123 the week and 433 five weeks ago. In newly reported deaths, children under 16 years old rose by 1 to 29 since the pandemic, with 8 more among those 16-29 for a total of 408.
The new cases in the state over one week were 15,314, with 15,995 on June 18 and 11,797 June 11 which is different than 14,564increase because of revisions.
The daily cases record is 27,761 reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 26.
On Sept. 1 the new cases were 21,558, the last time it was above 21,000.
For one month cases have been been below 10,000. That includes 2,006 most recently, one day after 2,357. a Five days ago it dropped to 1,512, the lowest since 1,058 June 20.
The CDC lists the seven-day moving average of 2,172, the lowest 2,140 June 30, with the record 2`1,740 on Aug. 16. The last time it was under 2,000 was 1,938 June 28.
Cases weekly reached 109,816 (`15,688 daily) on Jan. 10 until the spike.
The CDC is now only reflecting the date of occurrence for cases and deaths rather than when reported to the Florida Department of Health. It can take several days or even weeks for the state to receive a report of a death. The CDC twice a week has been revising the previous cumulative totals as more data are reported.
The state has never listed increases on its since disbanded website and reports as media outlets, including WPTV, did the math each day.
On June 4, Florida switched to weekly reports from daily -- the first state in the nation reporting any data every seven days. In addition, the state's dashboard was removed, as well as current hospitalization data. Michigan and Ohio, which are in the top 10 for most deaths, reports fatalities only a few days per week.
According to data received by the CDC Thursday, U.S. deaths rose 1,414 and cases were up 78,101 with Florida accounting for 2.6%.
The first-time daily positivity rate was 7.8 14 weeks ago. The daily record was 23.38% on Dec. 28.
The state, which is the third most-populous with 16.5% of the population, is third in the nation, behind California with 70,884, with 143 in the past day reported, Texas with 68,792 including a daily increase of 219 and ahead of New York with 56,169, with a rise of 39.
Florida is third in cases behind California with 4,606,599, a rise of 6,093nd Texas with 4,188,319 including 5,484 Friday.
The overall first-time positivity rate is 21.1%, which is the same as last week.
The state reports don't include nonresidents' deaths and cases.
The weekly reports don't list deaths for each county though it is now available by the CDC but include other data:
Palm Beach County: Cases: 224,195 residents (1062 new, 1,430 last week). First-time positivity average in past week: 3.4%.
St. Lucie County: Cases: 47,636 resident (217new, 283 last week). First-daily positivity in past week: 4.7%
Martin County: Cases: 20,060 residents (111new, 110 last week). First-daily positivity in past week: 4.6%
Indian River County: Cases: 22,085 residents (57 new, 83 last week). First-daily positivity in past week: 2.4
Okeechobee County: 7,382 residents (21 new, 32 last week). First-daily positivity in past week: 4.3%.
Broward County: Cases: 355,580 residents (1,560 new, 1,903 last week). First-daily positivity in past week: 2.9%
Miami-Dade County: 670,019 residents (2,379 new, 3,033 last week). First-daily positivity in past week: 2.2%.
In other data, the state reported there are 29 deaths under 16 (increase of one) and 490,991 cases (488,131 previous week). At the other extreme, for 65 and older there are 44,144 deaths (53,532 previous week), which is 75.1% of total) and 469,141 cases (466,783 previous week), which is 12.9% of total.
The state's mortality rate (cases vs. deaths) was 1.6% (same as last week) including 9.4% for 65 and older but less than 1% in younger ages except 2.4% for 60-64. It is 1.6% in the United States and 2.0% worldwide.
In deaths per million, Florida is 2,729 (ninth in nation), U.S. 2,282, world 635.3. Mississippi is first at 3,357, New Jersey second at 3,133 New York, which had been second for most of the pandemic behind New Jersey, is now fifth at 2,916.
Florida's deaths are 8.0% of the total in the U.S. total and 8.0% of the cases. The state comprises 6.6% of the U.S. population.
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, 2020, Florida's total has surged to 16.9% of the state's 21.48 million population, fourth in cases per million behind No. 1 Tennessee. In cases per 100,000 for seven days, Florida is 48th at 90.4 (last week 47th) with Alaska No. 1 at 757.3, Montana No. 2 at 557.8, No.3 Wyoming at 518.0, according to the CDC. California is last at 61.1.
The CDC has directed states to generally count one case per person unless the virus was contracted again more than 90 days.
Florida is third in total tests at 41,292,510 with California No. 1 with 85,579,696. Some people have taken more than one test.
In one week, there were 466,818, which is 66,688 daily. Last week it was 523,935. On Dec. 23 there were a record 150,587 tests in one day.
Hospitalizations are 2,525 compared with 12,651 seven weeks ago, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health. Of the 258 hospitals reporting, 4.42% are occupied with COVID-19 patients and 78.91% (45,823) with all patients of the 58,068 total beds. The day before 255 hospitals reported data. Florida is fifth behind Texas with 5,345 hospitalized with coronaviurus, California second with 4,010, Pennsylvania third with 3,397, Ohio fourth with 3,227.
The U.S. coronavirus occupancy is 54,259 at 7.03% compared with 60,673 one week ago.
The Florida Hospital Association said Friday it believes the COVID-19 Delta variant surge is over. In its statistics, the association said there were 2,251 hospitalized, which is 73 lower than ever in 2020. Its peak was 17,121 on Aug. 23.
“While COVID-19 remains a concern, the summer Delta surge in Florida is over,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO, Florida Hospital Association. “Our state’s recovery would not have been possible without the tremendous work of our doctors, nurses, and hospital staff who worked around the clock.”
In state vaccination data from the CDC, 80.5% of Florida's population 18 and older has had at least one dose (13,883,022) and 69.8% fully vaccinated (12,037,657,). President Joe Biden had set a nationwide goal of 70% vaccinated by July 4 with at least one dose by adults and the current figure is 79.3. Totally vaccinated is 68.8%.
Thirty-four states (no changes) achieving the 70% standard are Hawaii (92.3%), Massachusetts (91.5%), Connecticut (90.8%), Pennsylvania (90.2%), Vermont (90.2%), New Mexico (89.3%), Rhode Island (89.3%), New Jersey (88.2%), California (87.8%), Maine (87.0%), New York (86.6%), Maryland (85.7%), New Hampshire (85.3%), Virginia (82.6%), Illinois (82.6%), Washington (82.0%), Delaware (81.0%), Florida (80.5%), Oregon (79.7%), Colorado (79.5%), Minnesota (78.0%), Utah (77.4%), Kansas (75.6%), Kentucky (75.5%), Nevada (75.5%), South Dakota (75.4%), North Carolina (75.3%), Texas (74.8%), Nebraska (74.6%), Wisconsin (74.4%), Arizona (72.9), Oklahoma (72.3%), Alaska (72.3), Iowa (72.0%),
The three worst percentages: West Virginia 58.0%, Wyoming 61.7%, Mississippi at 63.3%.
Also reaching the benchmark are Puerto Rico (91.5), Guam (90.4%), District of Columbia (85.1%).
For those 12 and older in Florida, 78.7% had at least one dose (14,715,877) and the complete series is 68.0% (12,720,139).
For the total population, the percentage is 68.6% (14,724,066, and the complete series is 59.2% (12,909,).