WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's coronavirus cases passed 800,000, including an increase of 5,592, which is the highest in two and a half months, as deaths remained under triple digits for the ninth day in a row, 72, the Florida Health Department announced Friday. Also, the state's daily first-time positivity rate increased from 4.87 percent to 5.89 though Palm Beach County declined from 5.76 percent to 5.53 percent.
The state has considered anything about 5 percent a danger "threshold."
Florida's total of 800,216 cases is 8.9 percent of the total infections in the U.S., which passed 9 million Friday, though the state only comprises 6.5 percent of the population.
In one week cases have risen by 28,436 for an average of 4,062 at 3.7 percent. The previous week the increase was 23,343 with an average of 3,335. The average since the first case, which was 243 days ago, is 3,293 per day.
Cases passed 700,000 one month ago, 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.
Infections surpassed 4,000 for the fourth day in a row and seventh time over 13 days.
Thursday's figure was 4,198 and last Friday's was 3,689 compared with Wednesday's 4,115 and Tuesday's 4,298.
One Thursday ago, they climbed by 5,557, the most since 6,352 on Aug. 15, not including two days' worth of data on Oct. 11 and 7,569 for one day on Sept. 1, which were both because of infection dumps.
They increased by 3,377 Monday, the most on a Monday since 4,155 on Aug. 10. On Monday, Sept. 29, the 738 cases were fewest since June 2 when there were 617 additional infections. Then, they then 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 are exponentially lower than its U.S. daily high of 15,300 in July.
Palm Beach County's daily cases increased by 405 one day after 364. On Sept. 28, the rise was 27.
Deaths rose by 72 Thursday after 66 Wednesday, 56 Tuesday, 20 Monday and 12 Sunday, the least since 5 on Sept. 23. Last Friday's increase was 73.
The last time there was a triple-digit increase was 105 one week ago Wednesday, and they were last highest 141 on Thursday, Oct. 15. The record was 276 deaths on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Palm Beach County's deaths increased by 6 to 1,586, which is second to Miami-Dade and ahead of Broward after an increase of 12 Thursday.
On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie rose by 1 to 335, Martin stayed at 165 and Indian River remained at 125. Okeechobee is still 38 with its first two fatalities on July 25.
Broward didn't change and has gained only 3 deaths death in one week, and Miami-Dade increased by 9.
With a net increase of 16 deaths in South Florida of the 72 state total, which is 22.2 percent, there are 7,414, which is 44.3 percent of the state figure though the population only comprises 30 percent.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, which is 238 days, the death toll has reached 16,720 for an average of 70 per day. Florida's total including nonresidents is 16,927, which rose by 1 to 207.
The number of deaths over one week is 380, an average of 54, compared with 510 the previous week.
State and county increases represent fatalities received by the state Thursday 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: 66 on Oct. 7.
The state report Friday identified 62 deaths with 10 previously reported cases added as a fatality for a net increase of 72.
Florida's first-time daily infection rate of tests reported by labs Thursday was the eight time in 14 days it was 5 percent or more with the two-week high of 6.73 Oct. 20 and a low of 3.65 six days ago.
Palm Beach County's first-time percentage was the eighth time in two weeks and sixth day in a row it was 4 percent or more. The rate three days ago of 8.27 was the highest since 8.81 on Aug. 10, not including a date dump when it was 8.68 two weeks ago. The two-week low was each 2.68 on Aug. 18 and Aug. 23, and it was 1.92 on Oct. 11, which was the smallest since 1.5 percent on May 19
The state's total daily positivity rate for all tests increased to 7.22 percent on 100,316 tests received Thursday, the fourth time in two weeks it exceeded 100,000 tests, from 6.02 on 92,319 tests. The 14-day high was 8.01 Oct. 20 and the low was 4.64 six days ago. Only 20,987 tests were reported Sept. 27 and the record test total was 142,964 July 11.
Florida's new hospitalizations rose by 174 compared with 289 the day before. The state reported Thursday there are currently 2,347 hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, which is 10 more than Wednesday.
Deaths
Since June 16, Florida has climbed seven spots from 11th place in the nation to fourth. And the state is 10th in deaths per million.
Texas is in second place with the addition of a U.S.-high 119 deaths Thursday after a state-record 324 on Aug. 11, for a total of 17,819. California reported 66 and is in third place with 17,541. New Jersey, which had been second throughout the pandemic, is in fifth place with 16,332, adding 8 fatalities.
It took 12 days for Florida's death toll to go from the 15,000 milestone to 16,000, the same to surpass that figure Oct. 7, but nine days to surpass 14,000 and eight to go past 12,000. 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. More than three months ago, July 20, there were 5,075 deaths.
Deaths have had upward and lower trends since the pandemic in Florida. A few months ago they were averaging more than 1,200 a week with one-week figures earlier in the mid 200s.
Palm Beach County increased by 28 deaths over seven days for 1.8 percent. The U.S. figure is 2.5 percent with the world at 3.9 percent.
Miami-Dade rose to 3,643 with 46 more in seven days. Broward is at 1,522 with the increase of just 3 in a week. St. Lucie has gone up by 5 deaths compared with Martin by 1, Indian River by 3 and Okeechobee by none.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 20 states, including Kentucky's 1,415 with 15 reported Friday.
Pinellas increased by 2 to 821 deaths in fourth place. Hillsborough by 22 to 800 after 16 the day before and 20 two days ago in fifth. Polk increased by 5 to 620 in sixth, Orange remained at 559 in seventh and Lee by 2 to 515 in eighth.
The state report Friday identified seven deaths in Palm Beach County though the increase was 6 with 5 women (57, 74, 80, 87, 96) and 2 men (71, 72). St. Lucie County reported a 62-year-old man and Martin a 91-year-old woman though there was no increase.
Cases
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 3.7 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 800,216, third in the nation and ninth in cases per million.
California has the most cases in the U.S. at 916,918 with 4,014 more Friday. Texas had a U.S.-high 5,933 and is second overall with 893,451. New York, which was the leader during much of the pandemic, is in fourth at 505,431 with an increase of 2,255.
Wisconsin reported 5,096 cases, behind a record 5,262 three days ago, and is in 27th. Also, three states set record: No. `12 Ohio 3,826 and No. 30 Minnesota a record 3,154. No. 14 Michigan gained 3,345 one day after a record 4,109 and No. 19 Indiana 3,163 one day after a record 3,618.
In Palm Beach County, new cases have been much lower since the record 1,171 July 5. The total now is 52,184 including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases were 883 compared with 673 the day before and Broward's increase was 642 vs. 556. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was Martin 23 vs. 26, St. Lucie 38 vs. 37, Indian River 35 vs. 44 and Okeechobee 12 vs. 1.
Testing
The state is no longer listing a running total of Floridians tested or total tests. Worldometers.info lists Florida with 9,943,626 total tests behind No. 1 California, No. 2 New York, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Illinois.
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 increased to 5.59 one day after 5.04, a two-week high of 5.85 four days ago and a two-week low of 2.46 six days ago. The rate hit 26.4 on July 8. Broward's rate was 5.62percent after 5.51 percent, a two-week high of 7.32 two days ago and a two-week low of 2.82 six days ago.
Elsewhere, St. Lucie's rate was 4.81 percent after 6.38 one day ago, a two-week high of 9.37 Oct. 20 and a low of 3.78 four days ago. Martin's rate was 5.27 percent after 5.01, a two-week low of 1.03 Oct. 17 and a two-week high of 6.94 Oct. 16. Indian River's rate was 6.07 percent after 7.54, a two-week high of 8.8 five days ago and a low of 3.34 on Oct. 19. Okeechobee's rate was 5.02 percent on 227 negative tests after 2.04 on 48 negative tests, a two-week high of 15.66 on 70 tests Oct. 19 and a low of 1.15 on 172 negative tests seven days ago.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate compares positive cases against deaths.
The state's rate was 2.1 percent for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 2.6 percent in the United States and 2.6 percent worldwide, which neared 1,186,000 deaths and passed 45.3 million cases Thursday, according to Worldometers.info.
Palm Beach County's rate is 3.1 percent compared with Broward at 1.8 percent and Miami-Dade with 2.0 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 3.7 percent in St. Lucie, 3.1 in Martin, 3.2 percent (-0.1) in Indian River and Okeechobee 2.2 percent, which is the highest ever.
Florida has 778 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 709 per million. New York, which represents 14.6 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,730 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 153.1 per million.
Age breakdown
Five deaths are among youths 14 and under, a 6-year-old from Hillsborough, a 9-year-year old from Putnam, two 11-year-olds, a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward, as well as a 12-year-girl from Duval.
Four other juveniles are among the 31 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 change.
Ninety-seven people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus with a decrease of 1.
A total of 5,352 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 26 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 13,3245 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 79, and 320 were hospitalized, which went up by 2. From ages 5-14, there are 35,031, an increase of 343, with 299 in the hospital at one time, which went up by 2.
From the infant to 54 age group, there are 569,604 of the 789,714 residents' cases. In that group, 1,096 have died, with an increase of 2, for a 0.19 death percentage. From infant to 64, there are 672,119 cases. A total of 2,939 have died, with 12 more, for a 0.44 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 12,576 with an increase of 96. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, increased by 46 to 8,537, followed by Boca Raton at 7,908 up from 7,841, Boynton Beach went to 4,603 from 4,5556 and Delray Beach at 3,544 vs. 3,522. A total of 1,544 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 5,357, an increase of 15, followed by Fort Pierce at 3,075, up 6, and Stuart with 2,483, which rose by 8.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 1 to 434 compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 49,185 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 47,973 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 4,162 in Palm Beach County, with an increase of 12 compared with 13 the day before. Martin remained at 424, St. Lucie by 3 to 786, Indian River by 2 to 347 and Okeechobee stayed at 196.
Long-term care
Forty percent of the deaths, 6,748 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 721 in Palm Beach County, which is second most in the state behind 846 in Miami-Dade. The state increase was 28 and Palm Beach County didn't change.
Nation
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the national toll has risen to 229,594, a rise of 938, according to Johns Hopkins. Worldometers.info has tabulated 235,159 deaths with an increase of 988.
The U.S. set another daily cases record Friday. Cases rose to 9,036,678, a rise of 91,744,ahead of a record 88,521 Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins. COVID Tracking Project lists the case increase as 97,080, behind the mark of 83,010 last Fridat. Worldometers.info has it at 101,461 and passing 9 million.
Last Friday in the U.S., there were 945 more deaths and 83,747 cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 5,615 at 2.5 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation at 33,451, with Johns Hopkins reporting 7 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: Illinois reported 49 deaths to move into sixth place by 19 ahead of Massachusetts with 24, No. 8 Pennsylvania 30, No. 9 Georgia 32 and No. 10 Michigan 12.
Also, No. 11 Arizona reported 16 deaths, as well as an additional 1,565 cases, the most since August. Tennessee added a state-record 78 and is in 20th. Washington, the original epicenter in the United States, reported 4.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 13.2 percent of 7,490 additional deaths, the most since a record 8,514 on April 17, and 19.7 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total.
The one week world death increase was 44,274 at 3.9 percent.
Last Friday's death increase was 6,552.
Cases increased by a record 573,616, surpassing the mark of 547,856 one day ago, the 500,000 milestone two days ago and 400,000 one week ago Friday, according to Worldometers.info.
Brazil has been trending down in deaths and cases. The nation, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 529 deaths to rise to 159,562. Brazil's record is 1,554 on July 29. The nation added 23,126 cases at 5,519,528 in third place.
India reported 48,648 new cases compared with a world-record 97,894, for second-place behind the U.S., passing 8 million with 8,088,851. Also, India recorded 563 deaths, behind a national-record 1,299, to rise to 121,090 and in third place.
Mexico announced 516 more deaths late Friday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 for a total of 91,289 in fourth place.
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 2,530 deaths, 273,206 cases Thursday, more than half the world cases total.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom reported 274 deaths with the daily high 1,172 for 46,229 in fifth place, as well as 24,405 cases one week after a record 26,688. No. 6 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 199 and a record 31,084 cases. No. 7 France announced 545 deaths, the most since 641 on April 18, as well as 49,215 cases, five days after a record 52,010. No. 8 Spain reported 239 deaths and a record 25,595 cases.
Iran, with 399 deaths, two days after a record 415, moved into ninth place by 67 ahead of Pery, which added 49.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 1,599,976, including a record 18,283. The nation gained 355 deaths one day after a 366 deaths in 13th.
No. 22 Canada reported 36 deaths for a total of 10,110 and 3,457 cases, three days after a record 4,109. Between May 26 and Aug. 30 cases were never more than 1,000.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity" with no lockdown, reported 9 deaths and is at 5,938. Neighboring Norway reported 1 death to rise to 282, as well as 297 more cases.
No. 34 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26, added 33 cases Saturday.