WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's coronavirus situation is improving in several key indicators: deaths, cases, infection rates and hospitalizations.
Cases increased by 54,109, which is a 28.3% decline in one week and a little more than one-third from a record four weeks ago, as deaths rose by 2,340 (334 daily) ,less than the record 2,468 last week, according to the state Health Department's weekly report released Friday.
Also, the 7,478 hospitalizations are significantly less than 9,585 one week ago and the record 17,295 on Aug. 19, with 78.1% of adults receiving at least one vaccine dose, a rise of about half a percentage point, and the weekly first-time infection positivity rate of 8.6% is 2.6 percentage points down in a week. But several South Florida Counties are reporting higher rates: Okeechobee at 19.9%, Indian River at 9.9%, St. Lucie at 9.5%, Martin at 9.5% but Palm Beach County at 7.5%, Broward 6.6% at and Miami-Dade at 5.3%.
A greater percentage of young people are recently being affected. The under 12 age group has the most new cases at 8,802, down from 12,202 with a 18.5% first-time positivity rate. On the 12-19 age group the positivity rate is the highest among the classes at 11.2% with 6,839 new cases a week after 9,657 and only 54% fully vaccinated. Conversely, the positivity rate is 6.4% for those 65 and older with 88% fully vaccinated.
In data released by the Florida Department of Health, the cumulative death toll is 53,325, the fourth state to pass the 50,000 milestone, and cases are 3,539,272 with the state among only three topping the 3 million milestone.
And based upon a CDC cumulative death total of 50,817 from the previous day, the most recent daily increase is 464.
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: 386 on Aug. 20. 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 354 daily (2,478 weekly) on Aug. 29. Until the spike, the record was 227 (1,589 weekly) only Aug. 5.
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% with the target 5 percent or less. Earlier this year it was less than 5%.
For the fourth week in a row, increased deaths surpassed 2,000, with 2,468 last week, 2,448 two weeks ago, 2,345 three weeks ago. Last week, the cases' increase was 75,998 and four weeks ago a record 152,760.
The state listed 355 deaths occurred in the past week with 384 the week before, 355 previously and 433 before that In newly reported deaths, children under 16 years old rose by 3 to 22 since the pandemic, with 21 more among those 16-29 for a total of 361.
The new cases in the state over one week were 53,580, which is different than 54,109 increase because of revisions. On July 16, new cases were 73,011 and the previous week 45,430.
The daily cases record is 27,778 reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 26.
On Sept. 1 the new cases were 21,567, the last time it was above 21,000.
Cases weekly reached 109,837 (`15,691 daily) on Jan. 10 until the spike. The CDC lists the seven-day moving average of 8,030, the lowest since 7,805 on July 18, with the record 2`1,755 Aug. 16.
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 deaths only a few days per week.
According to data received by the CDC Thursday, U.S. deaths rose 1,803 and cases were up 120,763 with Florida accounting for6.4%.
The first-time daily positivity rate was 7.8 11 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 fourth in the nation, behind California with 68,077, with 159 in the past day reported, Texas with 62,469, including a daily increase of 436 and New York with 55,107, with a rise of 107.
Florida is third in cases behind California with 4,448,666, a rise of 7,276, and Texas with 3,984,407 including 13,885 Friday.
The overall first-time positivity rate is 21.3%, 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: 217,721 residents (2,921 new). First-time positivity average in past week: 7.5%.
St. Lucie County: Cases: 46,238 resident (719 new). First-daily positivity in past week: 10.5%
Martin County: Cases: 19,444 residents (310 new). First-daily positivity in past week: 9.5%
Indian River County: Cases: 21,565 residents (334 new). First-daily positivity in past week: 9.9%
Okeechobee County: 7,216 residents (158 new). First-daily positivity in past week: 19.9%.
Broward County: Cases: 346,392 residents (4,349 new). First-daily positivity in past week: 6.6%
Miami-Dade County: 656,813 residents (8,556 new). First-daily positivity in past week: 5.3%.
In other data, the state reported there are 22 deaths under 16 (increase of three) and 471,193 cases (459,255 previous week). At the other extreme, for 65 and older there are 40,866 deaths (39,432 previous week), which is 76.3% of total) and 455,212 cases (448,426 previous week), which is 12.9% of total.
The state's mortality rate (cases vs. deaths) was 1.5% (up 0.1 in a week) including 9.0% for 65 and older but less than 1% in younger ages except 2.2% for 60-64. It is 1.6% in the United States and 2.0% worldwide.
In deaths per million, Florida is 2,473(10th in nation), U.S. 2,129, world 609.3. Mississippi is first at 3,1677, New Jersey second at 3,074 and New York third at 2,860.
Florida's deaths are 7.8% of the total in the U.S. total and 8.3% 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 16.5% of the state's 21.48 million population, second in cases per million behind Tennessee. In cases per 100,000 for seven days, Florida is 27th at 261.7 (last week 10th) with Alaska No. 1 at 854.6, West Virginia No. 2 at 662.0, Wyoming No. 3 at 640.7 and Montana No. 4 608.8, according to the CDC.
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 39,250,984 behind California with 77,454,463 (this week began reporting data) and New York with 55,748,932. Some people have taken more than one test.
In one week, there were 548,593 tests in Florida, which is 78,370daily. On Dec. 23 there were a record 150,587 tests.
Hospitalizations reached 7,478 compared with 12,651 three weeks ago. It was 4,262 on July 10 with the record until recently 10,179 on July 23, 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health. Of the 262 hospitals reporting, 12.79% are occupied with COVID-19 patients and 81.32% (48,318) with all patients of the 59,415total beds. The day before 260 hospitals reported data. Florida is second behind Texas with 11,866 hospitalized with coronaviurus.
The U.S. coronavirus occupancy is 85,399 at 11.05%.
In state vaccination data from the CDC, 78.1% of Florida's population 18 and older has had at least one dose (13,476,158) and 66.8% fully vaccinated (11,528,447). 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 76.8. Totally vaccinated is 66.3%.
Thirty-two states (one more in week in week) achieving the 70% standard are Hawaii (90.2%), Massachusetts (88.9%), Vermont (88.3%), Connecticut (87.9%), Rhode Island (86.4%), New Mexico (86.0%), New Jersey (85.6%), Maine (85.1%), California (85.0%) Pennsylvania (85.0%), Maryland (83.3%), New York (83.3%), Illinois (80.8%), Virginia (80.3%), New Hampshire (79.8%), Washington (79.7%), Delaware (78.2%), Florida (78.1%), Oregon (77.8%), Colorado (77.4%), Minnesota (76.3%), Utah (74.9%), Texas (73.2%), Kansas (72.9%), Nebraska (72.9%), Nevada (72.8%), Kentucky (72.9.%), Wisconsin (72.6%), South Dakota (72.5%), Arizona (70.8%), North Carolina (70.5%), Iowa (70.4%).
The three worst percentages: West Virginia 57.0%, Wyoming 59.0%, Mississippi at 61.1%.
Also reaching the benchmark are Puerto Rico (88.4%), Guam (87.7%), District of Columbia (81.5%).
For those 12 and older in Florida, 76.3% had at least one dose (14,272,815) and the complete series is 65% (12,152,580).
For the total population, the percentage is 66.5% (14,280,836) and the complete series is 56.6% (12,154,279).