WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida reported 33,032 new coronavirus cases, one day after 31,855, which is the fewest since 29,046 Dec. 26, as hospitalizations have declined three days in a row to 10,893 but deaths, which lag sometims weeks behind infections data, have surged to a weekly increase of 642, according to data posted Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Also, the CDC released county data, including still listing all of them in Florida as high, several times above the minimum for that category for cases per 100,000 and positivity rate. Of the South Florida Counties, the positivity rates went down except Okeechobee from 40.28% to 47.7%, the highest in the area. Palm Beach County dropped from 37.11% to to 29.74%, slightly higher than the two lowest:L Broward at 28.97% and Miami-Dade at 28.58%.
Florida's death toll of residents is 63,455 with the increase one week ago 459. The four-day rise is 374. The state is in third place behind California with 77,306 and Texas with 76,123. New York is fourth with 62,407.
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, 2020, the infections have grown to 5,153,539, the third state to pass the 5 million milestone on Saturday. 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 6,812,354, including the one-day U.S. record 143,380 seven days ago and Texas with 5,644,397 and a mark of 74,491 Thursday. New York is fourth with 4,556,428, including a record 90,132 Jan. 8.
Florida's record for cases was 77,075 and reported Jan. 2, only the third time it was more than 70,000. Before the omicron variant emerged, the record was 27,664 amid the delta strain last summer.
Seven days ago 47,683 infections were reported.
Florida's seven-day moving average of 49,671 daily contrasts with the record 65,660 Jan. 11. On Nov. 27 the average was 1,224.
Florida 347,697 cases in the past week are third behind California's 852,582, Texas' 453,026. New York's 319,000, including 153,711 in the city and 165,289 elsewhere, is fourth. Illinois is fifth with 227,203, Pennsylvania sixth with 194,782.
Sunday's cases figure was reported in Tuesday's surveillance report.
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. Because of the federal holiday, the update came Tuesday.
In the state report Friday, 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.
The first-time positivity rate dropped to 29.3% from a record 31.2% with Palm Beach County declining to 29.7%.
Hospitalizations dropped 372 from 11,265 a day ago. On Thursday, the total was 11,590, the most since 11,701 on Sept. 12 with the record 17,295 on Aug. 29.
One week ago there were 11,078 hospitalizations.
Of the 224 hospitals reporting, 20.81% of the available beds are occupied with coronavirus patients. The total beds in use: 43,698 (82.0%). The previous day 260 hospitals reported.
In the U.S.. hospitalizations declined to 154,335 (22.05%) from 156,676 the previous day with the record 158,263 Saturday. 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 14,345 (23.64%), Texas second with 13,380 (22.48%), New York third with 12,758 (28.85%, Pennsylvania fifth with 7,449 (25.69%),
Florida reported 181,958 tests on Jan. 12, the most recent available day, with the record 269,729 Jan. 3.
The CDC considers high transmission of one of two areas are high: new cases per 100,000 in past days of 100 or more or percentage of positive tests during the past seven days as 10% or more.
Overall, the state is considered high transmission
Here is the breakdown of South Florida counties in the past week and posted Tuesday:
Palm Beach: cases 26,866 (29,147 last week), cases per 100,000 1,794.93 (1,947.33 last week), positivity 29.74% (37.11% last week), deaths 18 (9 last week), new hospitalizations 1,201 (1,094 last week).
Martin: cases 2,497 (2,267 last week), cases per 100,000 1,550,93 (1,408.07 last week), positivity 35.95% (41.52% last week), deaths 8 (0 last week), new hospitalizations 134 (1135 last week).
St. Lucie: cases 5,621 (4,765 last week), cases per 100,000 1,712,17 (1,451.43 last week), positivity 39.75% (42.47% last week), deaths 10 (5 last week), new hospitalizations 199 (56 last week).
Indian River: cases 2,254 (1,404 last week), cases per 100,000 1,409,43 (877.92 last week), positivity 34.3% (34.69% last week), deaths 5 (0 last week), new hospitalizations 57 (56 last week).
Okeechobee: cases 831 cases (596 last week), cases per 100,000 1,970,69 (1,413.39 last week), positivity 47.7% (40.28% last week), deaths 1 (0 last week), new hospitalizations 29 (15 last week).
Broward: cases 48,103 (50,50,254 last week), cases per 100,000 2,463,31 (2,573,46 last week), positivity 28.97% (36.97% last week), deaths 61 (14 last week), new hospitalizations 1,375 (1,695 last week).
Miami-Dade: cases 93,321 (110,441 last week), cases per 100,000 3,434,78 (4,064.9 last week), positivity 28.58% (33.86% last week), deaths 100 (36 last week), new hospitalizations 2,249 (2,910 last week).
During the summer, Palm Beach County School District wanted two weeks of moderate transmission to end its mask mandate for students, which is one category below severe. The district achieved that in mid-November though the state has banned those requirements.
The state has banned mask mandates for students.
