Florida's coronavirus deaths and cases for residents have dropped to the lowest levels since the start of the pandemic more than three years ago as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cut back data with the end of the public health emergency.
On Thursday, the federal agency halted updates on cases, testing, positivity rates and transmission, and handed over deaths data to another federal agency, National Center for Health Statistics, which has a greater lag time. Hospitalizations and vaccinations data will continue to be updated as well as wastewater surveillance and genomic surveillance.
The Florida Health Department, which was among the first states to scrap daily reports, on Friday reported there were 88,288 deaths of residents, an increase of 69 over two weeks, the lowest since the state went to weekly reports on June 4, 2021, and biweekly on March 27, 2022.
Two weeks ago the increase was 420 and four weeks ago 214.
In 2020, there were 18 deaths reported in a week ending March 23 and then 87 on the week ending April 1.
On Aug. 27, there were 1,014 biweekly deaths (507 weekly), the most since 1,167 March 26, 2022 (583.5 weekly).
The state doesn't list weekly death increases.
Cases are updated weeky in the bi-weekly reports.
The state has reported 7,577,402 infections among residents, with new weekly cases 6,048, the fewest since the state went to weekly report. A week ago it was 7,102 and two weeks ago 7,006. On Dec. 30 there were 34,247, the most since 38,950 Sept. 2. Until recently, the previous low was 8,049 on March 18, 2022.
The figures don't give a fill picture of cases because most at-home tests are not reported.
Early in the pandemic when there was little testing, new cases were lower. From May 24, 2020 to May 31 there were 54,764 cumulative, an increase of 5,217.
The state's cumulative infections totals increased by 3,607 and two weeks ago the aggregate decreased
32,312. The state agency didn't given an explanation of a much different increase than new cases.
The change may have to do with how cases are classified.
The state Health Department has said it paused its reporting procedures to match the CDC's expanded definition of a COVID case, which now includes test results from over-the-counter kits and tests performed on the dead.
The state had halted reporting cases, deaths and positivity rates data to the CDC for the past five weeks.
The state's deaths and cases are a fraction of the peak. According to the CDC, the weekly record was 2,468 deaths on Sept. 22 and cases were 407,379 on Jan. 19, 2022.
Other data also are declining.
The state positivity rate is 7.4%, tied with two weeks ago as the lowest since 7.1% Oct. 20. The record high was 31.3% on Feb 6, 2022. The target rate is 5% with no South Florida counties below below that rate.
Palm Beach County is 9.5%. Martin 6.5%, St. Lucie 6.6%, Indian River 9.7%, Okeechoobee 5.9%, Broward 7.6%, Miami-Dade 7.9%,
Coronavirus hospitalizations are down to 636 with 1.26% of capacity the least since record-keeping began July 2020, according to Department of Health and Human Services. The state record was 17,295 (29.35%) on Aug. 29, 2021. Nationwide, the figure is 7,753 (1.2%) with the record 160,113 (20.6%) on Jan. 22, 2021.
The state vaccination rates have not risen much for months. The one-shot total population rates are 82.9% for one dose, 69.7% for completed primary (two) and updated (biovalent) booster 11.7%.
The CDC said it has many tools to monitor the COVID-19 despite scrapping of data.
"As a nation, we now find ourselves at a different point in the pandemic – with more tools and resources than ever before to better protect ourselves and our communities," the CDC said on its website.
"While reporting frequency and source data for some metrics will shift when the PHE declaration ends, CDC will continue to report valuable data to inform individual and community public health actions to protect those at highest risk of severe COVID-19. Our priority remains providing the information necessary to protect the nation’s public health.
Updated state and CDC data can be found at wptv.com/coronavirus.