WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida became the third state in the nation to pass 5 million cases Saturday, taking 18 days to add more than one million with the daily increase 49,339 posted Saturday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The death toll is at 63,090.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, 2020, the cumulative toll has grown to 5,041,918. It took 131 days to pass 4 million on Dec. 28, 145 days to pass 3 million on Aug. 19, 106 days to pass 2 million on March 27, 276 days to pass 1 million on Dec. 2, 2020.
Florida is third in cases behind California with 6,416,171 and Texas with 5,472,025. New York is fourth with 4,456,080.
In one week, Florida gained 429,311 cases, a rise of 7.7% in one week, according to the weekly report from the Florida Department of Health announced Friday.
Florida's record for cases was 77,097 and reported Sunday, only the third time it was more than 70,000. Since the record, infections have been on a downward trend to 49,462, 47,699, 71,746, 55,573, 590,061. Before the omicron variant emerged, the record was 27,664 amid the delta strain.
Florida 409,977 cases in the past week are third behind California's 841,593 and New York's 435,084, including 228,098 in the city and 206,986 elsewhere. Illinois is fourth with 227,203, Pennsylvania fifth with 194,782.
On Friday, California reported 119,264 cases, behind the national record 143,290 Tuesday (data not updated on state on weekends).
New York reported 47,870 cases Saturday compared with the record 90,132 seven earlier.
Texas gained 69,766 cases after a record 75,917 Tuesday.
Twice a week the CDC revises new daily cases and deaths in data provided by the state. On other days death are only added of ones that occurred the previous day.
In the state report, fatalities rose in one week from 184 to 470, which surpassed 467 on Nov. 26 and are the most since 664 Nov. 5, far below the record of 2,448 during the delta surge on Sept. 10, according to data from the Florida Department of Health.
California has the most deaths at 76,940, adding 136 Friday with Texas second at 75,934 with an additional 151 Saturday. New York gained a U.S.-high 221 Friday and three days after 297, the most since early in the pandemic, for a total of 61,746 in fourth.
The first-time positivity rate dropped to 29.3% from a record 31.2% with Palm Beach County declining to 29.7%.
Hospitalizations are up 22.9% to 11,568 from 9,416, last week rising 80.6%, the most in four months and more than half from the record 17,295 Aug. 29.
The increase from the day before was 16. Two days ago it decreased 28 from 11,590, the most since 11,701 Sept. 12.
Of the 260 hospitals reporting, 19.84% of the available beds are occupied with coronavirus patients. The total beds in use: 49,112 (82.94%). The previous day 259 hospitals reported.
In the U.S.. hospitalizations rose to a record 158,263 (20.64%) from 157,272 in one day. Until the spike record was 142,315 on Jan. 14 last year. The high during the delta surge was 103,896 Sept. 1.
Florida is fourth in U.S. with covid hospitalizations with California first with 14,067 (21.42%), New York second with 13,222 (27.55%), Texas third with 13,125 (19.32%), Pennsylvania fifth with 8,180 (25.79%), Illinois sixth with 7,210 (22.62%), Ohio seventh with 6,997 (23.17%).
Florida reported 127,826 tests on Jan. 8, the most recent available day, with the record 267,950 Jan. 3.
