Florida's newly reported deaths rose from 106 to a U.S.-high 172 in one day but new cases declined from 3,266 to 1,948. The state's daily first-time positivity rate is 5percent but Palm Beach County dropped to 3 percent as tests statewide dropped, the Department of Health announced Wednesday.
Later Wednesday, the department said the state dashboard incorrectly has added 2 deaths to the state total, including 1 in Palm Beach County and 1 in Miami-Dade. This story originally reported dashboard figures.
For the past two days the number of deaths have increased after traditionally lower weekend data. On Sunday, 10 fatalities were reported then 5 on Monday, which tied for the lowest on May 31 over nearly four months. Last Wednesday's increase was 202. The record was 276 deaths on Aug. 11.
On Monday, the 738 cases were fewest since June 2 when there were 617 additional infections. Last Wednesday's new cases were 2,590. The last time there were fewer than 2,000 not from weekend data was 1,823 on Sept. 8.
The state's first-time daily infection rate of all tested was 5.03 percent from 4.96 (which was adjusted from 5.01), a two-week low of 4.03 three days ago and a high of 5.85 on Sept. 21, which is among 3 days above 5 percent over two weeks. Palm Beach County's rate decreased to 3.18 percent from 4.10, compared with 2.06 percent two days ago that was among the lowest in several months. The high of 6.80 on Sept. 21 was the only time it was above 5 percent over 14 days.
The state's total daily positivity rate for all tests declined to 6.35 on 44,812 tests reported by labs to the state Tuesday from 6.66 on 70,881 the day before. The two-week low was 5.33 percent on Sept. 17 and the high was 7.54 on Sept. 21. Only 20,989 tests were reported two days ago and the record test total was 142,964 July 11. In Palm Beach County there were 75 residents positive on 2,355 total tested compared with 175 of 4,223 the day before.
Florida's total of 706,516 cases is 9.8 percent of the total infection in the U.S. though the state only comprises 6.5 percent of the population.
On Sunday, cases passed 700,000 after surpassing 600,000 more than one month ago, Aug. 23.
Before Tuesday, the previous times there were more than 3,000 cases was 3,573 Saturday, Sept. 19. The last time cases were more than 4,000 was 4,684 on Aug. 22.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, which is 208 days, the death toll has climbed to 14,315 among residents, with an average of 69 per day, and 14,486 including 171 nonresidents, which went up by 1.
It took nine days for the toll to pass from 13,000 to 14,000. It was eight days to pass 12,000 on Sept.9.
It took 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. More than two months ago, July 20, there were 5,075 deaths.
Palm Beach County's death toll increased by 18 to 1,368, third highest in the state behind Miami-Dade and Broward, after 7 on Tuesday. On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie increased by 3 to 283, Martin rose by 1 to 143 and Indian River went up by 2 to 119. Okeechobee remained at 27 deaths with its first two fatalities on July 25.
Broward rose by 12 and Miami-Dade by 36.
With an increase of 72 deaths in South Florida, or 41.9 percent of the state total, there are 6,615, which is 46.2 percent of the state figure though the population only comprises 30 percent.
Cases in Florida are much lower than three months ago.
Before going under triple digits for the first time in nearly four months, Sunday was 1,882, Saturday was 2,795.
Palm Beach County's daily cases increased by 67 after 175 the day before and 27 two days earlier.
Florida's new hospitalizations rose by 253 compared with 249 the day before. The state reported Wednesday there are currently 2,420 hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, which is 335 less than the day before.
Deaths
Florida is in fifth place in the United States. On June 16, Florida was in 11th place in the nation.
Texas is in fourth place with the addition of 107 deaths Wednesday after a state-record 324 on Aug. 11, for a total of 15,711. California reported 152 and is in third place overall with 15,792, just 81 ahead of Texas.
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: 88 on Aug. 31.
In a state report Wednesday, 9 deaths were removed after determining they weren't related to COVID-19.
Deaths rose by 697 in the state over seven days (a daily average of 100) for 5.1 percent, a figure tally that had been more than 1,200 deaths recently. Two months ago the one-week figure was in the mid 200s. Palm Beach County increased by 60 for 4.4 percent. The U.S. figure is 2.5 percent with the world at 3.8 percent.
Miami-Dade increased to 3,279 with 152 more in one week. Broward is at 1,396 with a rise 53 in one week. St. Lucie has risen by 12 deaths in one week compared with Martin by 5, Indian River by 4 and Okeechobee by 3.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 22 states, including Iowa's 1,346 after adding 20.
Pinellas increased by 1 to 753 deaths in fourth place and Hillsborough also by 10 to 646 in fifth place. Polk increased by 2 to 531 in sixth and Lee went up by 1 to 468.
The state identified 19 new deaths in the Palm Beach County though the increase was 18 of 10 women (43, 47, 55, 65, 66, 85, 89, 93, 94, 95) and 9 men (58, 75, 67, 84, 84, 87, 88, 93, 98). St. Lucie's increased deaths were 2 women (73, 97) and a 91-year-old man. Indian River reproted two men (82, 83) and Martin a 79-year-old woman.
Cases
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 3.3 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 706,516, third in the nation. The average over 213 days is 3,317 per day.
In one week, cases have risen by 16,017, which averages 2,266 per day, at 2.3 percent.
California has the most cases in the U.S. at 810,625 with the addition of 3,200. Texas had a U.S.-high 5,335 and is second overall with 748,967 New York, which was the leader during much of the pandemic, is in fourth at 458,649 with an additional 1,000, the third time in four digits in four days after not reaching that level since early June.
Florida's daily case increases have been below 10,000 since July 26 when they climbed by 12,199.
The record for most cases was 15,300 cases, which was the highest figure ever in the United States.
In Palm Beach County, new cases have been much lower since the record 1,171 July 5. The total now is 46,552, including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases were 314 compared with 620 the day before and Broward's increase was 198 vs. 248. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was 19 in Martin, 37 in St. Lucie, 11in Indian River, 9 in Okeechobee.
Testing
Florida's total number of people tested is 5,308,344 which is 24.7 percent of the state's population behind No. 1 California, No. 2 New York, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Illinois.
The overall Florida positive rate remained at 13.31.
In Palm Beach County, the last time the first-time rate has been above 10.0 percent was 10.2 percent on Aug. 4.
Miami-Dade's rate decreased to 4.80 percent from a two-week high of 6.78 and a two-week low of 2.72 two days ago. The rate hit 26.4 on July 8. Broward's rate was 2.72 percent after 3.06, a two-week low of 1.74 two days ago and a high of 4.94 seven days ago, the first time it was over 4 percent in two weeks.
Elsewhere, St. Lucie's rate increased to a two-week high of 7.06 percent from 4.51 and a two-week low of 2.48 three days ago. Martin's rate was 3.63 percent after 2.78, a two-week low of 1.85 Saturday and a high of 9.89 on Sept. 18. Indian River's rate decreased to 4.04 percent from 6.09 percent, a two-week high of 7.24 percent three days ago and a two-week low of 2.17 on Sept. 16. Okeechobee's rate was 15.28 on 61 negative tests after 12.66 on 69 negative tests, a two-week high of 34.33 percent on 44 tests Sept. 21 and a low of 4.35 on 44 six days ago.
Palm Beach County has 46,552 cases out of 369,312 total tested for 12.61 percent overall, not including those awaiting tests and inconclusive.
Miami-Dade leads with 170,400 positive cases out of 918,330 tested for 18.56 percent, and Broward is second with 77,200 cases and 569,902 tested for 13.55 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 4,927 of 36,255 for 13.59 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 8,091 out of 62,168 for 13.01 percent, Indian River with 3,254 of 36,256 for 8.98 percent and Okeechobee 1,575 of 11,167 for 14.1 percent.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate compares positive cases against deaths.
The state's rate increased to 2.1 percent for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, after 2.0 the day before compared with 2.9 percent in the United States and 3.0 percent worldwide, which neared 1,019,000 million deaths Wednesday and passed 34.1 million cases, according to Worldometers.info.
Palm Beach County's rate climbed to 3.0 percent from 2.9 percent, compared with Broward at 1.8 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.9 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 3.5 percent in St. Lucie, 2.9 percent in Martin, 3.7 percent in Indian River and 1.7 percent in Okeechobee.
Florida has 667 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 639 per million. New York, which represents 16.0 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,709 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 130.7 per million.
Age breakdown
The median age for all deaths in Florida is 79.
Five deaths are among youths 14 and under, including the newly reported death of a 12-year-girl from Duval on Saturday, as well as a 6-year-old from Hillsborough, a 9-year-year old from Putnam and two 11-year-olds, a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward.
Four other juveniles are among the 33 deaths in the 15-24 class, including a 16-year-old girl in Miami-Dade, a 16-year-old girl in Lee, a 17-year-old boy in Pasco and a 17-year-old boy in Manatee. This class didn't have any additions.
Ninety-four people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus, which went down by 1.
A total of 4,574 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 45 in one day.
Ninety-three percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 61 percent are 75 and older. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 28 percent age 55 and older and 7 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 11,951 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 28, and 283 were hospitalized, which went up by 4. From ages 5-14, there are 29,652, an increase of 110 with 254 in the hospital at one time, which didn't change.
From the infant to 54 age group, there are 503,218 of the 698,051 residents' cases. In that group, 987 have died, with an increase of 17, for a 0.20 death percentage. From infant to 64, there are 594,141 cases. A total of 2,544 have died, an increase of 24, for a 0.43 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 11,426, with an increase of 19. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, increased by 7 to 7,897 followed by Boca Raton at 6,795 up from 6,784. Boynton Beach went to 4,096 from 4,089 and Delray Beach at 3,160 vs. 3,158. A total of 1,134 in the county not designated by a city. In addition, the list of cities includes separate listings of misspellings and miscoded counties.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 4,792, an increase of 22, followed by Fort Pierce at 2,804, up 9, and Stuart with 2,297, which went up by 8.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, remained at 413 compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 44,108 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 42,941 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 3,689 in Palm Beach County, with an increase of 39 compared with 18 the day before; 394 in Martin, which went up by 3; St. Lucie at 672 with an increase of 6, Indian River rose by 3 to 304 and Okeechobee from 174 to 176.
Long-term care
Forty-one percent of the deaths, 5,835 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 600 in Palm Beach County, which is second most in the state behind 799 in Miami-Dade. The state increase was 67 and Palm Beach County went up by 11.
National
Since the first death was reported six months ago on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 206,888, a gain of 902, according to Johns Hopkins. Worldometers reported an increase of 955 to 211,740.
Cases reached 7,229,693 with an increase of 39,463. They have exceeded 70,000 seven times, including a record 78,446 on July 24 and the last time was July 31.
Last Wednesday in the U.S., there were 1,098 more deaths and 37,630 cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 5,004 at 2.5 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation at 33,153 with 9 reported after a high of 799 in April.
Among other states in the top 10 for deaths: No. 2 New Jersey 7, No. 6 Massachusetts 33, No. 7 Illinois 35, No. 8 Pennsylvania 20, No. 9 Michigan 11, No. 10 Georgia 27.
Also, No. 11 Arizona reported 18 deaths, as well as an additional 323 cases. No. 24 Washington, the original epicenter in the United States, reported 3.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 15.4 percent of the 6,202 additional deaths Wednesday and 20.8 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 36,890 at 3.8 percent.
Last Wednesday's death increase was 6,338.
Cases increased by 313,099 according to Worldometers.info. The record is 322,648 on Sept. 18.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 952 deaths to rise to 143,962. Brazil's record is 1,554 on July 29. The nation added 33,269 cases at 4,813,586 in third place.
India reported 80,472 cases after a world-record 97,894 one week ago to rise to 6,225,764, which is second in world behind U.S. Also, India recorded 1,179 deaths, after a national-record 1,299 last week, to rise to 97,497 and in third place.
Mexico announced 483 more deaths late Wednesday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 for a total of 77,646 in fourth place.
Four European nations are in the top 11 as cases are surging on the continent. The United Kingdom reported 71 additional deaths for 42,143 in fifth place with the record daily high 1,172, as well as 7,108 cases one day after a record 7,143. No. 6 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 19 deaths. No. 8 France announced 63 deaths, as well as 12,845 cases with the record 16,096 on Thursday. Spain reported 177 deaths and is in ninth place in deaths, just 165 behind France, as well as 11,016 cases, behind the record 11,588 on Sept. 18.
No. 7 Peru announced 67 deaths and is 507 ahead of France. No. 10 Iran reported 183 deaths Wednesday.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 1,176,286, including an additional 8,481, third day in a row above 8,000. The nation gained 177 deaths and is in 12th.
No. 20 Canada reported 6 deaths for a total of 9,297 and 1,797 cases. Between May 26 and Aug. 30 cases were never more than 1,000.
No. 32 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26, added 11 cases Thursday.