WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For only the second time since the coronavirus pandemic began, the Florida Health Department didn't release data on Thanksgiving.
No information, including deaths, cases and testing, was released on Saturday, Oct. 10, when there was a data discrepancy problem and numbers weren't released until the next day.
The state said new figures will be released Friday on its dashboard and reports. Florida was among 20 states not reporting data Thursday.
On Wednesday, Florida's deaths increased by a one-month high of 97, which was 25 more than the day before, as new cases climbed by 8,555, which was 179 less than one day earlier.
With testing ramping up to 128,226 ahead of Thanksgiving, Florida's first-time daily positivity rate decreased from 7.47 percent to 7.1 but Palm Beach County increased from a two-week low of 6.06 percent to 7.1 after five days in a row under 7 percent.
The state considers anything 5 percent and above a "danger" threshold.
Wednesday's deaths were the most since 105 on Oct. 21, when it last hit triple digits. They previously were the last highest 141 on Thursday, Oct. 15. The record was 276 deaths on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Monday's increase of 94 was the most ever for that day of the week. That day the state passed the 18,000 death milestone, taking 17 days to increase more than 1,000. It took 19 days for the toll to pass from 16,000 residents to 17,100 on Nov. 7. Deaths passed 16,000 residents, 16,021 on Oct. 19, which is 19 days. It was 49 days for Florida's death toll of residents to reach the first 1,000 yet it was only 40 days to more than double. On July 20, there were 5,075 deaths.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, which is 263 days, the death toll has reached 18,254 for an average of 69 per day. Florida's total including nonresidents is 18,482, which increased by 2 to 228.
Cases reached 961,676 with only No. 1 Texas and No. 2 California reporting more than 1 million. Florida's infections passed 900,000 one week ago Wednesday, after surpassing 800,000 on Oct. 30, 700,000 on Sept. 27, after going above 600,000 Aug. 23, 500,000 on Aug. 5, 400,000 on July 24, 300,000 on July 15, 200,000 on July 5, 100,000 on June 22.
Cases have been trending up in the state with the lowest this week 6,331 Tuesday. Cases rose by 9,925 last Wednesday.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, the 10,101 cases were the most since 12,199 on July 25. The record is 15,200, also in July.
On Monday, Sept. 29, the 738 cases were fewest since June 2 when there were 617 additional infections. Then, they increased to 3,266 on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Although infections in Florida are trending upward like in most other states in the nation, new cases had been exponentially lower than 15,300 in July that at the time was the most in any state.
Palm Beach County increased by 7 to 1,670 deaths, which is second to Miami-Dade and ahead of Broward after 4 Tuesday.
Martin reported the first deaths in 16 days, rising by 5 to 175. Rising by 1 each were St. Lucie County to 361 and Indian River at 131. Okeechobee remained at 43 with its first two fatalities on July 25.
Broward rose by 8 and Miami-Dade 3.
With a net increase of 25 deaths in South Florida of the 97 state total, there are 7,812, which is 42.8 percent of the state figure though the population only comprises 30 percent.
The number of deaths over one week is 523, an average of 75, compared with 431 the previous week.
In one week cases have risen by 56,428 for an average of 8,061 at 6.2 percent. The previous week the increase was 47,236 for an average of 6,748. The average since the first case, which was 269 days ago, is 3,575 per day.
Florida's total of 961,676 cases is 7.5 percent of the total infections in the U.S., which passed 12 million Saturday after 11 million the previous Sunday, though the state only comprises 6.5 percent of the population.
Palm Beach County's daily cases increased by 449 one day after 419. On Sept. 28, the rise was 27.
State and county increases represent fatalities received by the state Tuesday and not the number of deaths that occurred then. The day someone dies and when it is received by the state can lag for several days. The most deaths the past month: 53 each on Oct. 29 and Nov. 13.
Florida's new hospitalizations rose by 304 compared with 328 the day before. The state reported Wednesday there are currently 3,723 hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, which is 57 less in one day.
Deaths
Since June 16, Florida has climbed seven spots from 11th place in the nation to fourth. And the state is 14th in deaths per million.
Texas is in second place, reporting a U.S.-high 206 deaths Thursday at 21,156. California reported 104 for third place with at 18,979. New Jersey, which had been second throughout the pandemic, is in fifth place with 16,925, adding 39 fatalities.
Cases
Since the first two cases were announced eight months ago on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 4.5 percent of the state's 21.48 million population, third in the nation and 23rd in cases per million, which has been dropping the last few weeks.
California is first place for cases, 1,158,689 with 14,640 one day after a U.S. record 18,350. Texas is second at 1,143,616 with 12,423 one day after a state-record 14,648. New York, which was the leader during much of the pandemic, is in fifth at 620,199 with an increase of 6,983, the most since 10,553 on April 25.
Nineteen states reported at least 2,000 cases, including No. 4 Illinois with 12,022 after what was a U.S. record 15,415 on Nov. 13 and now a total of 685,467.
Others with high numbers: No. 12 with a state-record 8,425, No. 14 Indiana with 6,434, No. 22 Colorado with 6,053, No. 8 Wisconsin with 5,095, No. 13 New Jersey with 4,565, No. 16 Missouri with 4,477, No. 10 Tennessee with 4,404, No. 15 Arizona with 3,474, No. 21 Iowa with 3,331.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate compares positive cases against deaths. The state's rate was 1.9 percent for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 2.0 percent in the United States and 2.3 percent worldwide, which neared 1,437,000 deaths and passed 61.3 million cases Thursday, according to Worldometers.info.
Palm Beach County's rate is 2.7 percent, compared with Broward at 1.6 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.7 percent (-0.1). With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 3.5 percent in St. Lucie, 2.9 in Martin (+0.1), 2.8 percent in Indian River (+0.1) and Okeechobee 2.2 percent
Florida has 850 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 812 per million. New York, which represents 13.1 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,768 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 184.4 per million.
Nation
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the national toll has risen to 263,454, a rise of a world-high 1,232 Thursday, with the record 2,609 on April 15, according to Johns Hopkins. Worldometers.info has tabulated 269,560 deaths with an increase of 1,311. And the Covid Project has recorded 254,530 with a rise of 1,319.
Cases rose to 12,883,264, a rise of 110,611 six days after a record 195,542, according to Johns Hopkins. COVID Tracking Project lists the case increase as 125,082 six days after a record 192,805. Worldometers.info has it as 108,291 six days after a record 204,163.
The one-week death increase was 10,854 at 4.3 percent.
Last Thursday in the U.S., there were 1,987 more deaths and 187,963 cases.
New York has the most deaths in the nation at 34,399 with Johns Hopkins reporting 11 more after a high of 799 in April. Hopkins lists confirmed and probable deaths, with the latter not a positive case.
Among other states in the top 10 for deaths: No. 6 Illinois 131, No. 7 Massachusetts no data, No. 8 Pennsylvania 1118, No. 9 Georgia 39 and No. 10 Michigan no data.
Also, No. 14 Indiana 63, No. 25 Wisconsin 62, No. 18 Tennessee 53, No. 26 Colorado 51 and No. 11 Arizona 44. No. 27 Washington, the original epicenter in the U.S., reported no data Thursday.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 12.0 percent of the 10,923 deaths one day after record 12,053 deaths and 18.8 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total.
The one week world death increase was 71,150 at 5.2 percent.
Last Thursday's death increase was 11,049.
Cases increased by 547,300 after a record 662,911 on Nov. 13 with 500,00 passing for the first time Oct. 28 and 400,000 for the first time on Oct. 15.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 698 to rise to 171,497. Brazil's record is 1,554 on July 29. The nation added 37,672 cases and is third at 6,204,570.
India reported 44,489 more compared with a record 97,894 and is second in the world behind the U.S. with 9,266,705. Also, India recorded 524 deaths, behind a national-record 1,299, to rise to 135,223 and in third place.
Mexico reported 645 deaths late Thursday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 for a total of 104,242 in fourth place, and 8,707 cases two days after record 10,794.
In Europe, coronavirus is surging at record cases levels and deaths that are the highest since the spring with nations instituting lockdowns. The continent reported 5,276 new deaths and 225,067 cases.
Five European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom reported 498 deaths, behind the record 1,166 April 21, as well 17,555 cases after a record 33,470 on Nov. 12. No. 6 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter, reported 822 deaths, which is behind a record 921 on March 28, and 29,003 cases after record 40,896 on Nov. 13. No. 7 France announced 339 deaths, after 932 deaths on Nov. 13 that was the most since a record of 1,437 in April, as well as 13,563 cases after a record 86,852 on Oct. 31 and is fourth overall with 2,183,660. No. 9 Spain reported 337 deaths and 7,991 cases.
Also in Europe, Russia moved ahead of Argentina (227 deaths) into 10th place with a record 524 deaths one after after the mark of 507 and a record 25,487 and is fifth overall with 2,187,990.
No. 8 Iran reported 482 deaths, after a record 486 on No. 16, and a record 13,961 cases.
No. 23 Canada reported 53 deaths for a total of 11,762 and 2,956 cases days after record 7,052.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity" with no lockdown, reported 15 deaths and is at 6,622. Neighboring Norway remained at 316 deaths, as well as 480 more cases.
China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and recently dropped to 36th. China added 5 cases Friday.