WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's increased coronavirus deaths plunged to 14, the lowest since 12 on June 22, with Miami-Dade County reporting the only fatalities in South Florida, as cases increased by 2,583, only the third time since late June they were under 3,000, the Florida Department of Health announced Sunday.
Meanwhile, state daily positivity rate of tests received from labs Saturday was 7.30 percent and the first-time rate was 5.14 percent. In Palm Beach County, the first-time rate was 4.70 on 4,316 negatives tests.
The state's death increase was drastically lower from 148 on Saturday after trending down the four days: 183 Tuesday, 153 Wednesday, 135 Thursday, 89 Friday.
Deaths traditionally are lower from weekend data, including 51 last Sunday and 72 on Monday. The last time deaths were below 40 was 35 on Monday, July 13.
Palm Beach County's death total remained at 1,117, second highest in the state behind Miami-Dade and ahead of Broward, after 18 deaths were reported Saturday.
On the Treasure Coast, there were no increases with St. Lucie at 235, Martin at 114 and Indian River at 98. Okeechobee stayed at 15 after reporting its first two deaths on July 25.
Broward climbed by none and Miami-Dade rose by 4 deaths.
In South Florida, there were 4 of the 14 deaths for a total of 5,165 at 46.5 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent.
Pinellas remained at 650 deaths in fourth place and Hillsborough went up by 2 to 547 in fifth place. Also staying the same were Polk at 442 in sixth and Lee at 418.
Florida is in fifth place in the United States with 11,105 deaths, and nonresident deaths remained at 144 for a total of 11,249. On June 16, Florida was in 11th place in the nation.
Texas is in fourth place with the addition of a U.S.-high 90 deaths Sunday after a state-record 324 on Aug. 11, for a total of 12,510. California reported 71 new deaths and is in third place overall with 12,905.
Florida cases' increase Saturday was 3,197. In all the cases have been under 5,000 for 15 days in a row. The previous lowest was 2,258 on Aug. 24 after 2,974 the previous day. June 15 was the last time they were under 2,000 at 1,758.
The daily rate for 60,074 tested remained under 8 percent for two days in a row after 7.12 when there were 72,569 tests. The two-week low was 7.05 percent on Aug. 21. The first-time cases positivity rate moved above 5 percent after a two-week low of 4.93 the day before and 4.94 on Aug. 21. The rate has been under 8 percent since Aug. 16.
In Palm Beach County, the first-time positivity rate has been below 6 percent for 13 days, including seven times 5 percent and under. The lowest was 3.56 one Saturday ago.
The county daily cases increased by 135 compared with 172 the day before.
Florida's new hospitalizations rose by 96 compared with 311 the day before. The state reported Sunday there are currently 3,993 hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, which is 201 less than the day before.
Deaths
Deaths in the state have accelerated over nearly six months since the first fatalities were announced on March 6. took 49 days for the death toll to reach the first 1,000 yet it was only 40 days to more than double with an increase of 6,000 now. The average number of deaths per day in Florida is 63.
The last time deaths were more than 200 was 212 on Aug. 18. The state record was 276 on Aug. 11. The previous record was 257 on July 31. Others in the 200s were 204, 228, 212, 225, 245, 252, 216.
State and county increases represent fatalities received by the state Saturday 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: 184 on July 30.
In a state list of cases and deaths released Sunday, it reported 15 deaths from the previous report but 1 was removed after further determining a cause of death for a net gain 14.
Deaths rose by `794 in the state over seven days (a daily average of 113) for 7.7 percent, a figure tally that had been more than 1,200 deaths recently. Two months ago the one-week figure was in the mid 200s. Palm Beach County rose by 58 for 5.5 percent. The U.S. figure is 3.7 percent with the world at 4.7 percent.
Miami-Dade climbed to 2,403, which is 160 more in one week. Broward remained at 1,183 with a rise of 50 in one week. Indian River has risen by 19 deaths in one week, a 24.1 percent increase compared with St. Lucie rising by 21 deaths, Martin by 2 and Okeechobee by 2.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 22 states, including Iowa's `1,113 after reporting 4 Sunday. Wisconsin is 5 ahead of Florida with 1,122, including 3 reported deaths Sunday.
Cases
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 2.9 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 621,586, second in the nation.
In one week, cases have risen by 21,015, which average 3,002 per day, at 3.5 percent, a percentage that has been steadily decreasing.
Cases passed 600,000 last Sunday and 500,000 on Aug. 5.
California has the most cases in the U.S. at 699,909 with the addition of 6,070, the most in the U.S. on Sunday. Texas had the second-most new cases, 3,759 and is third overall with 610,354. New York, which was the leader during much of the pandemic, is in fourth at 434,402 with 698 more.
Florida's daily case increases have been below 10,000 since July 26 when they climbed by 12,199.
Cases in Florida had stayed below 2,000 until June 13 with 2,581 and they often were under 1,000 with the last one of three digits 966 on June 8.
The cases record was 15,300 was July 5 – the highest daily figure ever in the United States. The second highest is 13,965 on July 16.
In Palm Beach County, new cases have been much lower since the record 1,171 July 5. The total now is 41,865, including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases were 521 compared with 620, and Broward's increase was 186 vs. 251. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was 36 in St. Lucie, 30 in Martin, 7 in Indian River and 5 in Okeechobee.
Testing
Florida's total now is 4,606,568 fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 21.4 percent of Florida's population, though some people tested more than once.
The overall positive rate was 13.49 percent Sunday compared with 13.51 the day before.
The daily rate at one time was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 7.30 in daily tests. The two-week high was 16.43 on Aug. 11. The record is 20.71 percent on July 8 when there were 51,686 tests.
The record test total was 142,964 July 11.
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 dropped under 7 percent for the first time in two weeks, at 6.63 after four days in a row in the 7 percent range, including 7.06 Friday. The highest was 26.4 on July 8. Broward has been under 5 percent for three successive days: 4.78, then 4.21 then 4.49 and a two-week high of 8.96 on Aug. 16.
Elsewhere, St. Lucie's rate declined from 5.34 to 3.97 percent near the 14-day low of 3.57 on Aug. 21 though it surged to 13.98 on Monday. Martin's rate surged to 10.25 from 7.03 and previously 12.23 percent a two-week low of 4.40 last Sunday. Indian River's rate was a two-week low of 1.36 after 3.0 percent and two other times under 2 percent. Okeechobee's rate was 5.71 on 99 negative tests after 8.55 percent on 139 negative tests, a two-week high of 11.96 Aug. 22 on 81 negative tests and 0 percent last Sunday on 28 tests.
Palm Beach County has 41,865 cases out of 321,944 total tested for 13 percent overall, not including those awaiting tests and inconclusive. Anything 10.0 percent and above is considered out of "target range" by the health department.
Miami-Dade leads with 156,559 positive cases out of 808,486 tested for 19.36 percent, and Broward is second with 70,950 cases and 499,995 tested for 14.19 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 4,450 of 30,590 for 14.55 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 6,975 out of 50,966 for 13.69 percent, Indian River with 2,834 of 30,803 for 9.2 percent and Okeechobee 1,239 of 0,891 for 12.53 percent.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate compares positive cases against deaths.
The state's rate is 1.8 percent for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 3.0 percent in the United States and 3.3 percent worldwide, which passed 850,000 deaths and neared 25.4 million cases Sunday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 2.7 percent, compared with Broward at 1.7 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.5 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 3.4 percent in St. Lucie, 2.6 percent in Martin, 3.5 percent in Indian River and 1.2 percent in Okeechobee.
Florida has 518 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 565 per million. New York, which represents 17.6 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,697 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 109.1 per million.
Age breakdown
The median age for all deaths in Florida is 79.
Four deaths are among youths 14 and under, a figure that was unchanged: a 6-year-old from Hillsborough, a 9-year-year old from Putnam and two 11-year-olds, a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward, among 4 in the 5-14 age class.
Four other juveniles are among the 27 deaths in the 15-24 class: 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. The 15-24 class decreased by 1 and the younger class didn't change.
Seventy-three people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus, with one addition.
A total of 3,583 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 5 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 10,488 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 46, and 243 were hospitalized, which didn't change. From ages 5-14, there are 25,404, an increase of 156 with 219 in the hospital at one time, which went up by 3.
From the infant to 54 age group, 442,446 of the 614,753 residents tested. In that group, 776 have died, with no change, for a 0.18 death percentage. From infant to 64, there are 522,934 cases. A total of 1,970 have died, an increase of 2, for a 0.38 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 10,449, with an increase of 21. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 5 to 7,282 followed by Boca Raton at 5,713 up from 5,686, Boynton Beach at 3,740 from 3,717 and Delray Beach at 2,868 vs. 2,852. A total of 910 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 4,097, an increase of 21 followed by Fort Pierce at 2,511, up 13, and Stuart with 2,091, which was an increase of 6.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, remained at 394 compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 38,410 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 36,468 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 3,332 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 5 compared with 29 the day before; 377 in Martin, which increased by 1; 464 in St. Lucie with no change, Indian River went up by 1 to 253 and Okeechobee increased from 131 to 132.
Long-term care
Forty-two percent of the deaths, 4,682 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 479 in Palm Beach County, which is second most in the state behind 697 in Miami-Dade. The state increase was 4 and in Palm Beach County it didn't change.
National
Since the first death was reported six months ago on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 187,224, an increase of 371 on Sunday, the smallest rise since 268 on July 5, according to Worldometers.info.
Johns Hopkins reports 182,761, a gain of 284.
Cases reached 6,173,236 with an increase of 33,981, according to Worldometers.info. They have exceeded 70,000 seven times, including a record 78,446 on July 24.
Last Sunday in the U.S., there were 430 more deaths and 32,720 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 6,660 at 3.7 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation at 33,021, with 9 reported, after a high of 799 in April.
Among other states in the top 10 for deaths: No. 2 New Jersey 3, No. 6 Massachusetts 13, No. 7 Illinois 11, No. 8 Pennsylvania none, No. 9 Michigan 3, No. 10 Georgia 28.
Also, No. 11 Arizona announced 23 new deaths and 374 additional cases. No. 23 Washington, the original epicenter in the United States, reported no new deaths Sunday.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 8.8 percent of the 4,182 additional deaths Sunday and 22.0 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 37,998 at 4.7 percent.
Last Sunday's death increase was 4,290.
Cases increased by 220,670, behind a record 289,648 on July 24.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 398 to rise to 120,896. Brazil's record is 1,554 on July 29. The nation added 15,346 cases for a total of 3,862,311 and only behind the U.S.
Mexico reported 339 more deaths late Sunday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 for a total of 64,158 in third place.
India is 660 deaths behind Mexico with 63,498 total, adding 948. The Asian nation also reported a record 78,761 cases for a third-place total of 3,542,733, behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom reported an 1 additional deaths for 41,499 in fifth place with the record daily high 1,172. No. 6 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 4 deaths. No. 7 France reported 4 deaths and and No. 8 Spain no data.
No. 9 Peru gained 181 and No. 10 Iran had 103.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 990,326, including an additional 4,980. The nation gained 68 deaths and is in 12th.
No. 17 Canada reported 4 deaths to rise to 9,117, as well as 267 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," reported no data and has 5,821 total. Neighboring Norway announced zero deaths for the 10th day in a row to remain at 264 deaths, as well as 20 more cases.
No. 28 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26, and added `7 cases Monday.
Japan reported 9 deaths Sunday for a total of 1,264.
