WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida reported 56,865 coronavirus cases of residents, the third highest behind a record 75,962 Friday and 58,013 the day before as hospitals rose to 5,215, the most since Oct. 2 and a 130% increase in a week but a fraction of the record last summer, according to data posted Saturday.
The state's cumulative infections climbed to 4,222,827 with California No. 1 at 5,181,438 and Texas second with 4,561,037. On Aug. 19, Florida surpassed 3 million and it was March 27 with 2 million and Dec. 2, 2020 for the first million. The first cases were reported in Florida on March 1, 2020.
The death toll remained at 62,405 with an increase of 162 in one week with 122 the previous one, among the lowest since the pandemic began. During the summer, the record was 2,448 weekly.
Until the recent spike, fueled by the omicron variant, the record was 27,664 cases on Aug. 26 during the height of the delta variant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Seven days ago the increase was 27,939.
On Friday, the Florida Department of Health reported infections rose a record 302,179 in one week, which is a 130% increase from the previous week. That is is the same as the hospitalizations.
On Nov. 30 the weekly 9,792 increase was the lowest since the state went to weekly reports on June 4.
Generally, at-home rapid tests are not reported to agencies. The state since June 4 has not released daily data, though information goes to the CDC.
Just 19 days ago the daily increase was 1,947.
Only 684 cases were reported on Nov. 26.
The hospitalizations are 2,954 more than a week ago's 2,261. The record low 1,228 was Nov. 29. The hospitalizations are a fraction of record 17,295 on Aug. 19. Last year the lowest was 2,031 on Oct. 17.
Those with coronavirus represent 9.2% of the 57,561 beds at 257 hospitals reporting. The total beds in use are 44,478 at 77.27%.
In the U.S., hospitalizations rose to 98,041 (12.26%) with the total rising past 100,000 during the summer urge.
Florida, which is the third-most populous states, ranks seventh for most hospitalized with the virus. New York is first with 7,572 (17.9%), Texas second with 6,713 (10.14%), Ohio third with 6,018 (0.14%), California fourth with 6,309 (9.98%), Illinois fifth with 5,893 (19.37%), Pennsylvania sixth with 5,747 (19.61%).
