WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's first-time daily cases coronavirus positivity rate dropped to 5.75 percent, including 4.10 in Palm Beach County, as newly reported deaths subsided to 153 and cases increased by a stable 3,220, the Florida Department of Health announced Wednesday.
On Tuesday, deaths rose by 183, the highest in one week, as cases increased by 2,473 after 2,258 Monday, the lowest since 1,758 on June 15.
The 65,295 total daily tests received from labs Tuesday compared with 43,524 the day before, among the lowest in two weeks. The daily rate of those tests declined to 8.44 from 11.35 percent; and the three previous successive days were 7.05, 8.60, 8.28. The rate has been less than the target 10 percent since 10.23 on Aug. 18..
The first-time cases positivity rate was nearly 2 percentage points lower than 7.48 the day before. The lowest over two weeks was 4.93 Friday, the smallest percentage since June, followed by 5.67 and 5.15 percent. The rate has been under 10 percent for two weeks and under 8 percent since Aug. 16.
In Palm Beach County, the first-time positivity rate has been under 5.0 for two days, including 4.99 for tests reported Monday. The rate has been less than 6 percent for nine days in a row.
The county daily cases increased by 160 compared with 103 the day before.
Palm Beach County's death toll increased by 12 to 1,078, second highest in the state behind Miami-Dade and ahead of Broward, after 5 deaths were reported Tuesday.
On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie increased by 6 to 230, Martin went up by 1 to 113 and Indian River rose by 4 to 91. Okeechobee increased by 1 to 14.
Broward climbed by 13 and Miami-Dade rose by 40 deaths.
In South Florida, there were 77 of the 153 deaths – 50.3 percent – for a total of 5,003 at 46.6 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent.
Pinellas rose by 5 to 635 deaths in fourth place and Hillsborough went up by 3 to 537 in fifth place. Polk went up by 4 to 423 in sixth and Lee rose by 3 to 409
Florida is in fifth place in the United States with 10,733 deaths, and nonresident deaths increased by 2 to 139 for a total of 10,872. On June 16, Florida was in 11th place in the nation.
Texas is in fourth place with the addition of a U.S.-high 229 deaths Wednesday after a state-record 324 on Aug. 11, for a total of 11,805. California reported 150 new deaths, just 3 behind Florida, and is in third place overall with 12,407. Arizona reported 104 deaths to rise to 11th place past Louisiana with 54 but 186 cases though the total tests were only 5,341.
Florida's new hospitalizations rose by 366 compared with 442 the day before. On Wednesday, the state reported there are currently 4,630 hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, which is 13 less than the day before.
Deaths
The first two deaths were announced on March 6. It wasn't until April 24 the toll surpassed 1,000.
For eight days in a row, deaths have been under 200. Tuesday's increase of 183 was the highest in one week.
One Tuesday ago, the death increase of 212 was the ninth time they surpassed 200. 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 Tuesday 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: 177 on July 30.
In a state list of cases and deaths released late Wednesday, it reported 155 deaths from the previous report but 2 were removed after further determining a cause of death for a net gain 153.
Deaths rose by `801 in the state over seven days (a daily average of 114) for 8.1 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 56 for 5.5 percent. The U.S. figure is 3.8 percent with the world at 5.1 percent.
Miami-Dade climbed to 2,317, which is 151 more in one week. Broward increased to 1,160 with a rise of 111 in one week. Last week Broward passed Palm Beach County into second place.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 22 states, including Iowa's `1,067 after reporting 15 Wednesday and Rhode Island's 1,041 with an additional 2.
The state on Wednesday identified 12 deaths in Palm Beach County: 8 men (61, 67, 68, 73, 76, 82, 84, 90) and 4 women (54, 87, 88, 92). St. Lucie's new deaths were 4 men (55, 79, 85, 97) and 2 women (55, 66). Indian River added 3 men (61, 74, 86) and a 77-year-old woman. Martin's death was a 74-year-old man and Okeechobee's was an 85-year-old woman.
Cases
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 2.8 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 608,722, second in the nation.
In one week, cases have risen by 20,120 at 3.3 percent, a percentage that has been steadily decreasing.
Three weeks ago, Florida became the second state to pass 500,000 cases.
California has the most cases in the U.S. at 679,099 with the addition of 6,004, the most in the U.S. on Wednesday. Texas had the second-most new cases, 5,045, and is third overall with 593,137. New York, which was the leader during much of the pandemic, is in fourth at 431,340 with 566 more.
Florida's daily case increases have been below 10,000 since July 26 when they climbed by 12,199.
For 10 days, the state's cases have been below 5,000.
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 41,013, including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases were 750 compared with 773, and Broward's increase was 299 vs. 201. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was 53 in St. Lucie, 61 in Martin, 14 in Indian River and 2 in Okeechobee.
Testing
Florida's total now is 4,499,640, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 20.9 percent of Florida's population, though some people tested more than once.
The overall positive rate was 13.53 percent Wednesday compared with 13.54 Tuesday.
The daily rate at one time was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 8.28 in daily tests reported from labs Monday. 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 went below 8 percent for only the second time in two weeks, 7.67 and previously 7.15, and has remained under 10 percent for eight days. The highest was 26.4 on July 8. In Broward, the rate has been above 5 percent for successive days of 5.61 and 5.80 most recently after three days under 5 percent.
Elsewhere, St. Lucie's rate surged to 7.03 from 6.38 with the low 2.59 on Aug. 14. Indian River's rate was 4.06 after 6.78 and a two-week low of 1.67 two days ago. Okeechobee's rate was 5.08 on 56 negative tests after 6.52 on 32 tests.
Palm Beach County has 41,013 cases out of 313,083 total tested for 13.1percent 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 154,135 positive cases out of 792,568 tested for 19.45 percent, and Broward is second with 69,883 cases and 489,501 tested for 14.28 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 4,173 of 28,522 for 14.63 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 6,773 out of 49,059 for 13.81 percent, Indian River with 2,780 of 29,956 for 9.28 percent and Okeechobee 1,210 of 9,673 for 12.51 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 3.1 percent in the United States and 3.4 percent worldwide, which neared 829,000 deaths and passed 24.3 million cases Wednesday.
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, 2.7 percent in Martin, 3.3 percent in Indian River and 1.2 percent in Okeechobee.
Florida has 500 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 554 per million. New York, which represents 18.0 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,696 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 106.3 per million.
Age breakdown
The median age for all deaths in Florida is 79.
Four deaths are among youths 14 and under: 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.
There were no increases in the two youngest classes.
Seventy people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus, which rose by 1.
A total of 3,463 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 50 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 10,247 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 22, and 238 were hospitalized, which rose by 4. From ages 5-14, there are 24,578, an increase of 120 with 208 in the hospital at one time, which went up by 4.
From the infant to 54 age group, 434,125 of the 602,113 residents tested. In that group, 752 have died, an increase of 7, for a 0.17 death percentage. From infant to 64, there are 512,975 cases. A total of 1,908 have died, an increase of 28, for a 0.37 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 10,190, an increase of 46. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 25 to 7,140, followed by Boca Raton at 5,591, up from 5,576, Boynton Beach at 3,677 from 3,661 and Delray Beach at 2,803 vs. 2,785. A total of 892 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 3,983, an increase of 36 followed by Fort Pierce at 2,447, up 14, and Stuart with 1,979, which was an increase of 22.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 1 case to 389 compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 37,404 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 35,200 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 3,230 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 38 compared with 46 the day before; 370 in Martin, which increased by 1; 454 in St. Lucie with a rise of 12 Indian River went up by 1 to 243 and Okeechobee went from 128 to 129.
Long-term care
Forty-two percent of the deaths, 4,530 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 457 in Palm Beach County, which is second most in the state behind 685 in Miami-Dade. The state increase was 60 and in Palm Beach County it went up by 7.
National
Since the first death was reported five months ago on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 183,653, an increase of 1,289 on Wednesday, according to Worldometers.info.
Johns Hopkins reports 178,695, a gain of 1,209.
Cases reached 6,000,365 with an increase of 44,637, according to Worldometers.info. They have exceeded 70,000 seven times, including a record 78,446 on July 24.
Last Wednesday in the U.S., there were 1,284 more deaths and 44,973 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 6,760 at 3.8 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation at 32,987, with 7 reported Wednesday, after a high of 799 in April.
Among other states in the top 10 for deaths: No. 2 New Jersey 1, No. 6 Massachusetts 26, No. 7 Illinois 37, No. 8 Pennsylvania 16, No. 9 Michigan 6, No. 10 Georgia 49.
Also, No. 20 Mississippi reported 58 additional deaths No. 23 Washington, the original epicenter in the United States, had 4.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 20.4 percent of the 6,338 additional deaths Wednesday and 22.2 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 38,670 at 4.9 percent.
Last Wednesday's death increase was 6,709.
Cases increased by 272,489, behind a record 289,648 on July 24.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 1,090 Wednesday, which was 199 behind the U.S. with the most Wednesday to rise to 117,756. Brazil's record is 1,554 on July 29. The nation added 44,637 cases for a total of 3,722,004 and only behind the U.S.
Mexico reported 626 more deaths late Wednesday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 for a total of 573,888 in third place.
India added 1,017 deaths to rise to 59,612 in fourth place. The Asian nation also reported a record 75,995 cases for a third-place total of 3,307,749, behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom reported an additional 16 deaths for 41,465 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 13 deaths. No. 7 France didn't report any deaths but 5,429 cases, the highest since 5,497 on April 14 and No. 8 Spain 47 deaths.
No. 9 Peru gained 123 and No. 10 Iran had 119.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 970,865, including an additional 4,676. The nation gained 1115 deaths and is in 12th.
No. 17 Canada reported 4 deaths to rise to 9,094, as well as 448 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," reported 5 deaths and has 5,817 total. Neighboring Norway announced zero deaths for the sixth day in a row to remain at 264 deaths, as well as 50 more cases.
China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26, dropping to 28th behind Bolivia, and added 8 cases Thursday.
Japan reported 13 deaths for a total of 1,209, as well as 701 cases Wednesday.
