WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida became the third state to pass 60,000 residents' deaths from coronavirus, gaining 664 in one week, which is the first time under 100 deaths daily in three months. The cases' daily average of around 1,500 is the smallest in five months, and the weekly first-time infection positivity rate of 2.6% and hospitalizations of 1,732 are all-time reported lows.
In data released by the Florida Department of Health on Friday, the cumulative death toll is 60,334, the fourth state to pass the 50,000 milestone, behind California and Texas, each with more than 70,000, but ahead of New York in third place. Cases are 3,657,775, with an increase of 10,498, with the state among only among three topping the 3 million milestone, and also ahead of New York.
The state passed 50,000 deaths on Aug. 31, 40,000 on July 29, 30,000 on Feb. 7, 20,000 on Nov. 30, 10,000 on Aug. 15, 2020, and 5,000 on July 12. The average daily increase is 99 days, which is 664 days since since the fist two fatalities were announced March 6, 2020.
The hospitalizations are the lowest since tracking began, one 10th of record 17,295 on Aug. 19 and 500 fewer than one week ago at 2,209. On June 11, there were 1,797 hospitalized, the previous low. Last year the lowest was 2,031 on Oct. 17.
More than four-fifths of adults (81.5%) have at least one vaccination shot, a rise of 0.5 percentage in one week, and those 12 and older at 79.7%. This week children 5-11 can be vaccinated with the Pfizer one.
The weekly first-time infection positivity rate is one-tenth of a record 20.5% nearly three months ago. It was a record-low 3.0% last week, the smallest since the state went to weekly statistics on June 4. The lowest daily rate this year was 3.03% on May 25. In the week of May 17-30, 2020, before testing ramped up, it was below 3.0% for eight days, including 0.62% one day for an average of 2.82%. It has been under the 5.0% state target rate five weeks in a row.
Increased cases this past week are 6.9% of a record 152,760 seven weeks ago and the lowest since 10,105 June 18. The daily increase of 95 is one week after 135 (944 daily), six week after 352 (2,468 weekly) and lowest since 88 (616 weekly) on Aug. 6, the last time under 100 a day.
All South Florida counties are below the target 5%: Palm Beach County 2.9%, Martin 2.9%, St. Lucie 3.4%, Indian River 2.1%, Okeechobee 2.2%, , Broward 2.3% and Miami-Dade 1.8%, which has the most deaths in the state at 8,946.
The 30-39 age group has the most new cases at 1,697 one week after2,073. The under 12 age groups has 1,588 new cases with a 3.7% first-time positivity rate, the highest of the groups. In the 12-19 age group the positivity rate is second highest at 2.9% with 860 new cases and only 56% fully vaccinated (the youngest age until this week to get the shots). Conversely, the positivity rate is 2.3% for those 65 and older with 90% fully vaccinated.
And based upon a CDC cumulative death total of 59,495 from the previous day, the most recent daily increase is 175.
Deaths can take several days or even weeks to be reported to the state so the figures will fluctuate.
The state set a record for most deaths in one day: 420 on Aug. 27. Until the recent spike, the record was 242 on Aug. 4, 2020.
The record increase was 276 on Aug. 11 when the state was giving daily reports.
The highest seven-day moving average is 391 daily (2,737 weekly) on Sept. 1. Until the spike, the record was 227 (1,589 weekly) only Aug. 5, 2020.
Last year the highest weekly seven-day increase was 1,266 (181 daily) on Aug. 16, 2020. The first-time daily positivity rate last year was 9.04%. Earlier this year it was less than 5%.
Until Friday's report six weeks ago, deaths had surpassed 2,000 four weeks in a row: 2,340 after 2,468, 2,448, 2,345. Last week's increase was 944 and the previous week 1,252.
The state listed 39 deaths occurred in the past week with 56 the previous week and 433 seven weeks ago. In newly reported deaths, children under 16 years old remained 29 since the pandemic for the second week in a row, with 5 more among those 16-29 for a total of 417.
The new cases in the state over one week were 11,069, the lowest since the state week to weekly reports, which is different than 10,498 increase because of revisions. It was 12,880 last week, 11,797 June 11 and 11,901 June 4, which is different than 10,498 increase because of revisions.
The daily cases record is 27,759 reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 26.
On Sept. 1 the new cases were 21,553, the last time it was above 21,000.
Cases have been been below 10,000 since Sept. 22. That includes 1,635 most recently, one day after 1,784. On Saturday it was listed as 939, the lowest since 808 Sept. 27, 2020, then 941 the next day.
The CDC lists the seven-day moving average of 1,558, the lowest 1,525 June 20, with the record 2`1,734 on Aug. 16.
Cases weekly reached 109,816 (`15,688 daily) on Jan. 10 until the spike.
The CDC is now only reflecting the date of occurrence for cases and deaths rather than when reported to the Florida Department of Health. It can take several days or even weeks for the state to receive a report of a death. The CDC twice a week had been revising the previous cumulative totals as more data are reported, on Monday and Thursday, but it was just published once this week on Friday.
The state has never listed increases on its since disbanded website and reports as media outlets, including WPTV, did the math each day.
On June 4, Florida switched to weekly reports from daily -- the first state in the nation reporting any data every seven days. In addition, the state's dashboard was removed, as well as current hospitalization data. Michigan and Ohio, which are in the top 10 for most deaths, reports fatalities only a few days per week.
According to data received by the CDC Thursday, U.S. deaths rose 1,208 and cases were up 88,029 with Florida accounting for 2.2%.
The first-time daily positivity rate was 7.8 16 weeks ago. The daily record was 23.38% on Dec. 28.
The state, which is the third most-populous with 16.5% of the population, is third in the nation, behind California with 71,852, with 93 in the past day reported, Texas with 70,573 including a daily increase of 141 and ahead of New York with 56,610, with a rise of 19.
Florida is third in cases behind California with 4,688,285, a rise of 8,012 and Texas with 4,240,146 including 3,562 Friday.
The overall first-time positivity rate is 20.9%, which is a drop of 0.1.
The state reports don't include nonresidents' deaths and cases.
The weekly reports don't list deaths for each county though it is now available by the CDC but include other data:
In other data, the state reported there are 29 deaths under 16 (no change) and 495,059 cases (490,991 previous week). At the other extreme, for 65 and older there are 445,125 deaths (44,718 previous week), which is 74.8% of total and 472,777 cases (471,087 previous week), which is 12.9% of total.
The state's mortality rate (cases vs. deaths) was 1.6% (same as last week) including 9.5% for 65 and older but less than 1% in younger ages except 2.5% for 60-64. It is 1.6% in the United States and 2.0% worldwide.
In deaths per million, Florida is 2,770 (ninth in nation), U.S. 2,336, world 641.9. Mississippi is first at 3,410, Alabama second at 3,209, New Jersey third at 3,159. New York, which had been second for most of the pandemic behind New Jersey, is now fifth at 2,940.
Florida's deaths are 8.0% of the total in the U.S. total and 7.9% of the cases. The state comprises 6.6% of the U.S. population.
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, 2020, Florida's total has surged to 17.0% of the state's 21.48 million population, seventh in cases per million behind No. 1 North Dakota. In cases per 100,000 for seven days, Florida is last at 52..9 (last week 48th) with Alaska No. 1 at 583.6, Montana No. 2 at 457.8, No. North Dakota 448.0, No. 4 Wyoming at 430.4, according to the CDC. Hawaii is 49th at 62.7.
The CDC has directed states to generally count one case per person unless the virus was contracted again more than 90 days.
Florida is third in total tests at 42,216,292 with California No. 1 with 89,691,978. Some people have taken more than one test.
In one week, there were 419,784 tests, which is 59,969 daily. Last week it was 428,856. On Dec. 23 there were a record 150,587 tests in one day.
Hospitalizations are 1,732 compared with 12,651 nine weeks ago, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health. Of the 258 hospitals reporting, 2.98% are occupied with COVID-19 patients and 77.49% (45,771) with all patients of the 59,070 total beds. The day before 251hospitals reported data. Florida is seventh behind California with 4,277 hospitalized with coronaviurus, Texas second with 3,618, Pennsylvania third with 3,080, Ohio fourth with 2,758, Michigan fifth with 2,355 and New York sixth with 2,222.
The U.S. coronavirus occupancy is 47,055 at 6.12% compared with 50,111 one week ago.
In state vaccination data from the CDC, 81.5% of Florida's population 18 and older has had at least one dose (14,054,947) and 70.7% fully vaccinated (12,186,185). President Joe Biden had set a nationwide goal of 70% vaccinated by July 4 with at least one dose by adults and the current figure is 80.4. Totally vaccinated is 69.9%.
Thirty-six states achieving (plus two with Arkansas, Michigan) the 70% standard are Pennsylvania (93.9%), Hawaii (93.9%), Massachusetts (93.3%), Connecticut (92.6%), Vermont (91.6%), Rhode Island (90.9%), New Hampshire (90.7%), New Jersey (89.6%), Maine (89.4%), California (89.3%), New York (88.1%), New Mexico (86.8%), Maryland (86.5%), Virginia (84.6%), Washington (83.2%), Delaware (82.4%), Florida (815%), Colorado (80.6), Oregon (80.6%), Minnesota (79.1%), Illinois (78.6%), Utah (78.5%), North Carolina (78.3%), South Dakota (77.5%), Kansas (77.2%), Nevada (76.9%), Texas (75.8%), Nebraska (75.5%), Wisconsin (75.4%), Oklahoma (74.0%), Arizona (73.8), Alaska (73.4), Iowa (73.0%), Arkansas (70.7%), Michigan (70.1%), Kentucky (70.1%).
The three worst percentages: West Virginia 58.4%, Wyoming 63.0%, Mississippi at 64.2%.
Also reaching the benchmark are Guam (99.9%), American Samoa (93.3%), Puerto Rico (92.5), District of Columbia (87.8%).
For those 12 and older in Florida, 79.5% had at least one dose (14,897,429) and the complete series is 68.9% (12,880,381).
For the total population, the percentage is 69.4% (14,905,682 and the complete series is 60.0% (12,882,180).
