WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Although every Florida county remains listed as "high" coronavirus transmission, South Florida's counties continue to show declines in virtually all of their cases, hospitalizations and positivity rates with the latter all under 23%, though deaths, which lag sometimes weeks behind other data, have increased, according to data posted Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Also Tuesday, the CDC reported 19,306 new cases compared with 19,951 last week and the record 76,648 Jan. 8. On Jan. 22 8,288 infections were reported, the least since 6,830 Dec. 15.
Fatalities are 66,465 residents with a four-day increase of 500 and weekly of 1,1981,263 previous week) updated Monday.
The seven South Florida counties' deaths increased 528 in the past week vs. 444 the previous week, 308 week earlier and 203 before that. Palm Beach County declined to 113 from 128. In all the county has 4,628 deaths, the third most in the state behind Miami-Dade at 9,89 and Broward at 5,379. Okeechobee reported no charge for three weeks in a row.
Brown County also declined from 119 to 113.
Though South Florida's data declined, they are still several times above the minimum for cases per 100,000 of 100 or more and positivity rate of 10% or more in the "high" category. But the cases per 100,000 have dropped below 600 in all of them.
Of the South Florida counties, the positivity rates went down everywhere. Palm Beach County decreased to 15.92% from 19.98%. St. Lucie is the highest at 22.61% one week after 31.07%, also the largest then.
The Florida Health Department considers 5% the target rate and the state is listed as more than 25%. In last week's state report released Friday, the percentage was 18.0%.
Hospitalizations also have decreased in every county except Indian River where it went from 4 to 29, Okeechobee from 24 to 31, Broward from 63 to 462. Palm Beach County dropped from 461 to 314. Miami-Dade went from 964 to 644 admissions.
In data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, Florida's hospitalizations are at 7,420 with COVID-19 (13.39% capacity) one day after 7,316 (12.75), which is the least since 6,914 (12.72%) Jan. 4. One week ago it was 8,798 (16.22%).
But 232 hospitals reported compared with 258 the day before. They reached 11,839 (21.29%) Jan. 19, which was most since 12,651 Sept. 11. The record is 17,295 (29.35%) on Aug. 29. Total beds in use are 45,689 (81.09%) compared with one week ago 44.319 (8034%).
The state is in third place for deaths behind California with 80,640, adding 101 Tuesday, and Texas with 79,111, gaining 282 in a day. New York is fourth with 66,015, adding 184 in one day.
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, 2020, Florida's infections of residents have grown to 5,700,264, the third state to pass the 5 million milestone 24 days ago. 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 behind California with 8,127,081, including the one-day U.S. record 143,380 28 days ago and a U.S.-high 47,310 posted Tuesday with Texas 6,395,334 and a mark of 74,491 Jan. 13 with 11,753 most recently. New York is fourth with 4,838,586, including a record 90,132 Jan. 8 but only 4,281 Tuesday.
Florida has surpassed 70,000 cases four times with the last one four weeks ago.
Before the omicron variant emerged, the record was 27,664 amid the delta strain last summer.
Florida's seven-day moving average is 17,682, lowest since 15,112 Dec. 22. The record was 65,306 Jan. 11. On Nov. 27 the average was 1,224.
Florida 123,780 cases in the past week are third behind California's 269,598 and Texas' 164,235. Three weeks ago New York was fourth with 319,000, including 153,711 in the city and 165,289 elsewhere, but it has dropped overall to 51`,867 in eight with 16,274 in the city and 32,593 elsewhere. North Carolina is now fourth with 72,5102 and Tennessee fifth at 55,989.
Twice a week the CDC revises new daily cases and deaths in data provided by the state. On other days deaths are only added of ones that occurred the previous day.
In the state report Friday, fatalities rose in one week from 1,192 to 1,324, the most since 1,368 Oct. 8, but far below the record of 2,448 during the delta surge on Sept. 10, according to data from the Florida Department of Health.
In the U.S., hospitalizations declined to 104,090 (14.9%) from 107,661 (14.28% the previous day with the record 160,113 Jan. 20. 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 third in U.S. in covid hospitalizations with California first with 11,097 (17.74%), Texas second with 10,340 (17.26%), New York fourth with 5,776 (13.05%).
Florida reported 87,453 tests on Feb. 1, the most recent available day, with the record 275,299 Jan. 3.
Here is the breakdown of South Florida counties in the past week and posted Tuesday:
Palm Beach: cases 5,758 (8,711 last week), cases per 100,000 384.70 (581.99 last week), positivity 15.92% (19.98% last week), deaths total 4,628, 113 increase (128 last week), new hospitalizations 314 (461 last week).
Martin: cases 582 (1,097 last week), cases per 100,000 361.49 (681.37 last week), positivity 18.47% (26.3% last week), deaths total 566, 23 increase (2 last week), new hospitalizations 107 (129 last week).
St. Lucie: cases 1,612 (2,526 last week), cases per 100,000 491.02 (769.43 last week), positivity 22.61% (31.07% last week), death total 1,107, 34 increase (0 last week), new hospitalizations 114 (119 last week).
Indian River: cases 755 (1,269 last week), cases per 100,000 472.10 (793.51 last week), positivity 21.2% (27.38% last week), deaths total 603, 11 increase (5 last week), new hospitalizations 29 (4 last week).
Okeechobee: cases 207 cases (403 last week), cases per 100,000 490.89 (955.7 last week), positivity 21.82% (27.13% last week), deaths total 164, 0 increase (0 last week), new hospitalizations 31 (24 last week).
Broward: cases 7,794 (11,917 last week), cases per 100,000 399.12 (610.26 last week), positivity 14.3% (18.22% last week), deaths 5,379 total, 113 increase (119 last week), new hospitalizations 462 (63 last week).
Miami-Dade: cases 16,208 (23,019 last week), cases per 100,000 596.55 (847.24 last week), positivity 14.18% (19.1% last week), deaths total 9,989, 234 increase (190 last week), new hospitalizations 644 (964 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.
The state has banned mask mandates for students.
Moderate is 10 to 49.99 cases per 100,000 in the last seven days and 5-7.99% positivity rate. Severe is 50-99.99 per 100,000 and positivity 8-9.99%.
