WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's coronavirus cases increased by 6,820, the highest in three months, but deaths rose by 21, the fewest in two weeks. Also, the first-time daily positivity rate declined by around 2 percentage points to 6.23 and Palm Beach County also dropped by around 2 points to 5.82 percent as testing soared to 116,996 in one day, the Florida Health Department announced Sunday.
The state considers anything above 5 percent in the "danger" threshold. Weekend data, including deaths, traditionally subside.
Cases have exceeded at least 4,000 in 12 of the past 13 days. Saturday's increase was 4,452 and Friday's was 5,245. On Thursday there were 6,257 cases, which was the highest since 6,352 on Aug. 15, not including 7,569 Sept. 1 because of a data dump.
But Sunday's increase topped that and is the most since 8,109 on Aug. 12.
Last Saturday, they rose by 2,331, which was the last time they were under 4,000 and the lowest since 2,144 on Oct. 21.
Despite a surge in cases, deaths have been trending down in Florida.
Saturday's death increase of 86 was the most since 105 on Oct. 21, the last time they were in triple digits. They previously were the last highest 141 on Thursday, Oct. 15. The record was 276 deaths on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Last Sunday there were 28 deaths and the lowest since 20 on Monday, Oct. 26.
One Sunday ago, they rose by 12, which was the least since 5 on Sept. 23.
Palm Beach County remained at 1,609 deaths, which is second to Miami-Dade and ahead of Broward after an increase of 3 Saturday.
St. Lucie increased by 2 to 341, and remaining the same were Martin at 169 and Indian River at 126. Okeechobee stayed at 42 with its first two fatalities on July 25.
Broward rse by 3 and Miami-Dade by 1.
With a net increase of 6 deaths in South Florida of the 21 state total, there are 7,518, which is 43.9 percent of the state figure though the population only comprises 30 percent.
The number of deaths over one week is 332, an average of 47, compared with 360 the previous week.
In one week cases have risen by 36,485 for an average of 5,212 at 4.3 percent. The previous week the increase was 28,776 with an average of 4,110. The average since the first case, which was 252 days ago, is 3,349 per day.
Florida's total of 843,897 cases is 8.5 percent of the total infections in the U.S., which passed 9 million on Oct. 30, though the state only comprises 6.5 percent of the population.
On Monday, Sept. 29, the 738 cases were fewest since June 2 when there were 617 additional infections. Then, they then increased to 3,266 on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Although infections in Florida are trending upward like in most other states in the nation, new cases are exponentially lower than its U.S. daily high of 15,300 in July.
Palm Beach County's daily cases increased by 447 one day after 378. On Sept. 28, the rise was 27.
Cases passed 800,000 on Oct. 31, 700,000 on Sept. 27, after going above 600,000 Aug. 23, 500,000 on Aug. 5, 400,000 on July 24, 300,000 on July 15, 200,000 on July 5, 100,000 on June 22.
Florida's first-time daily infection rate of tests reported by labs Saturday was 2.04 percent less than the day before rate of 8.27, which was the highest since 8.`19 on Aug. 16. Last week the rates were 7.58 and 7.73 on successive days. The two-week low was 4.91 on Oct. 28.
Palm Beach County's percentage rate decreased by 1.91 percentage points from 7.71 the day before. Two days earlier, the 4.58 percentage was the lowest in two weeks and broke a string of 12 days in a row 5 percent or above. Five days ago the rate was 8.37, which was the highest since 8.81 on Aug. 10, not including a date dump when it was 8.68 two weeks ago. Eleven days ago, the rate hit 8.32 percent. The rate was 1.92 on Oct. 11, which was the smallest since 1.5 percent on May 19.
The state's total daily positivity rate for all tests decreased to 7.67 percent on ``116,966 tests one day after a two-week high of 9.82 on 58,291 tests. The rate hit 9.31 percent on 61,919 tests four days ago. The two-week low was 6.01 on Oct. 28. Only 20,987 tests were reported Sept. 27 and the record test total was 142,964 July 11.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, which is 247 days, the death toll has reached 17,121 for an average of 69 per day. Florida's total including nonresidents is 17,333, which increased by 1 to 212.
It took 19 days for the toll to pass from 16,000 to 17,100 on Friday. Deaths passed 16,000 residents, 16,021 on Oct. 19, which is 19 days ago. It took 12 days for Florida's death toll to go from the 15,000 milestone to 16,000, the same to surpass that figure Oct. 7, but nine days to surpass 14,000 and eight to go past 12,000. It was 49 days for Florida's death toll of residents to reach the first 1,000 yet it was only 40 days to more than double. More than three months ago, July 20, there were 5,075 deaths.
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: 53 on Oct. 11.
The state report Sunday identified 17 deaths with 4 previously reported cases added as a fatality for a net increase of 21.
Florida's new hospitalizations rose by 63 compared with 161 the day before. The state reported Sunday there are currently 2,783 hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, which was 111 more than Friday.
Deaths
Since June 16, Florida has climbed seven spots from 11th place in the nation to fourth. And the state is 12th in deaths per million.
Texas is in second place with the addition of 43 deaths after a state-record 324 on Aug. 11, for a total of 18,743. California reported no data is in third place with 17,939. New Jersey, which had been second throughout the pandemic, is in fifth place with 16,429, adding 4 fatalities.
Deaths have had upward and lower trends since the pandemic in Florida. A few months ago they were averaging more than 1,200 a week with one-week figures earlier in the mid 200s.
Palm Beach County increased by 21 deaths over seven days for 1.3 percent. The U.S. figure is 2.8 percent with the world at 4.5 percent.
Miami-Dade rose to 36,83 with 21 more in seven days. Broward is at 1,548 with the increase of 22 in a week. St. Lucie has gone up by 5 deaths compared with Martin by 2, Indian River by 1 and Okeechobee by 4.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 20 states, including Kentucky's 1,565 with 4 reported Sunday.
Hillsborough moved into fourth place with 6 more deaths at 842 as Pinellas remained at 83`1 in fifth place, and staying the same were Polk at 638 in sixth, Orange at 591 in seventh and Lee at 531 in eighth.
The state report Sunday identified two deaths in St. Lucie County: an 80-year-old woman and an 83-year-old man.
Cases
Since the first two cases were announced eight months ago on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 3.9 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 843,897 third in the nation and 13th in cases per million.
California has the most cases in the U.S. at 956,957 with no data reported Sunday. Texas had 5,404 and is second overall with 956,234. New York, which was the leader during much of the pandemic, is in fourth at 529,036 with an increase of 3,428.
Seventeen states reported at least 2,000 cases, with 10 setting state records. Four states didn't report data.
Two states in the Midwest broke records: No. 5 Illinois with a U.S.-high 10,009, No. 21 Minnesota with 5,908. Other high numbers were: No. 9 Wisconsin with 4,280, No. 8 Tennessee with 3,636, No. 24 Iowa with 3,370, No. 27 Colorado with 3,017.
Miami-Dade's cases were 1,710 compared with 808 the day before and Broward's increase was 625 vs. 621. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was Martin 18 vs. 18, St. Lucie 30 vs. 46, Indian River 31 vs. 48 and Okeechobee 4 vs. 14.
Testing
The state is no longer listing a running total of Floridians tested or total tests. Worldometers.info lists Florida with 10,555,504 total tests behind No. 1 California, No. 2 New York, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Illinois.
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 decreased to 7.18 one day after a two-week high of 8.42 percent and a two-week low of 5.11 on Oct. 28. The rate hit 26.4 on July 8. Broward's rate was 6.05 percent one day after a two-week high of 8.22 percent and a two-week low of 4.30 Oct. 30.
Elsewhere, St. Lucie's rate was a two-week low of 3.14 percent one day after 7.12 and a two-week high of 9.08 Oct. 26. Martin's rate was 3.96 percent after 5.96, a two-week low of 2.49 two days ago and a two-week high of 6.95 Oct. 27. Indian River's rate was 4.46 percent after a two-week high of 8.41 and a two-week low of 3.69 on Oct. 30. Okeechobee's rate was 5.63 percent on 67 negative tests after a two-week high of 19.44 on 67 negative tests and zero percent on 32 negative tests six days ago.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate compares positive cases against deaths.
The state's rate was 2.1 percent for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 2.4 percent in the United States and 2.5 percent worldwide, which neared 1,262,000 deaths and passed 50.7 million cases Monday, according to Worldometers.info.
Palm Beach County's rate is 2.9 percent (-0.1) compared with Broward at 1.7 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.9 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 3.6 percent in St. Lucie, 3.1 in Martin, 3.1 percent in Indian River and Okeechobee 2.3 percent.
Florida has 797 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 736 per million. New York, which represents 14.2 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,739 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 161.9 per million.
Age breakdown
Five deaths are among youths 14 and under, a 6-year-old from Hillsborough, a 9-year-year old from Putnam, two 11-year-olds, a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward, as well as a 12-year-girl from Duval.
Four other juveniles are among the 32 deaths in the 15-24 class, including 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. This class didn't change.
Ninety-nine people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus with no change.
A total of 5,463 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 – 27 percent age 55 and older and 6 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 14,044 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 106, and 332 were hospitalized, which went up by 1. From ages 5-14, there are 37,575, an increase of 402, with 308 in the hospital at one time, which didn't change.
From the infant to 54 age group, there are 595,896 of the 825,906 residents' cases. In that group, 1,128 have died, with no change, for a 0.19 death percentage. From infant to 64, there are 703,176 cases. A total of 3,017 have died, with 3 more, for a 0.43 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 13,215 with an increase of 91. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, increased by 55 to 8,895, followed by Boca Raton at 8,448 up from 8,375, Boynton Beach went to 4,888 from 4,853 and Delray Beach at 3,771 vs. 3,735. A total of 1,764 in the county not designated by a city. In addition, the list of cities includes separate listings of misspellings and miscoded counties.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 5,633, an increase of 20, followed by Fort Pierce at 3,170, up 14, and Stuart with 2,567, which rose by 11.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 1 to 443 compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 50,489 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 49,404seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 4,248 in Palm Beach County, with an increase of 1 compared with 4 the day before. And remaining unchanged were Martin at 428, St. Lucie at 811, Indian River at 368 and Okeechobee at 196.
Long-term care
Forty percent of the deaths, 6,873 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 726 in Palm Beach County, which is second most in the state behind 851 in Miami-Dade. The state increase was 7 and Palm Beach County didn't change.
Nation
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the national toll has risen to 237,566, a rise of 453 Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins. Worldometers.info has tabulated 243,768 deaths with an increase of 512.
Cases rose to 9,961,324, a rise of 100,766 one day after a world record of 127,399, according to Johns Hopkins. COVID Tracking Project lists the case increase as 103,588 one day after a record 128,396. Worldometers.info has it at as 102,726 two days after a record 132,540.
Last Sunday in the U.S., there were 401 more deaths and 73,594 cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 6,567 at 2.8 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation at 33,694 with Johns Hopkins reporting 14 more after a high of 799 in April. Hopkins lists confirmed and probable deaths, with the latter not a positive case.
Among other states in the top 10 for deaths: No. 6 Illinois 50, No. 7 Massachusetts 20, No. 8 Pennsylvania 4, No. 9 Georgia 1 and No. 10 Michigan no data.
Also, No. 11 Arizona reported 17 deaths, as well as an additional 1,880 cases. No. 25 Washington, the original epicenter in the United States, reported 1.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 8.8 percent of 5,839, two daya after a record 9,082, and 19.2 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total.
The one week world death increase was 54,317 at 4.5 percent.
Last Sunday's death increase was 5,455.
Cases increased 472,468 two days after a record 623,311 and passing 500,00 for the first time 11 days ago and 400,000 for the first time on Oct. 15.
Brazil has been trending down in deaths and cases. The nation, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 111 deaths to rise to 162,397. Brazil's record is 1,554 on July 29. The nation added 10,554 cases at 5,664,115 in third place.
India reported 45,674 new cases compared with a world-record 97,894 in September, for second-place behind the U.S., with 8,507,754. Also, India recorded 559 deaths, behind a national-record 1,299, to rise to 126,121 and in third place.
Mexico announced 219 more deaths late Sunday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 for a total of 95,027 in fourth place.
In Europe, coronavirus is surging at record cases levels and deaths that are the highest since the spring with nations instituting lockdowns. The continent reported 2,326 deaths and 217,518 cases.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom reported 156 deaths, as well as 20,572 cases one week after a record 26,684 in late October. No. 6 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 331 and a record 39,811 cases. No. 7 France announced 270 deaths, two day after 828, as well as 38,619 cases one day after a record 86,852. No. 8 Spain reported no data over the weekend after 347 deaths and a record 22,516 cases Friday.
No. 9 Iran reported a record 459 deaths and 9,236 cases, one day after a record 9,450. No. 10 Peru added 39 deaths.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 1,774,334, including 20,498 two days after a record 20,582. The nation gained 286 in 13th.
No. 22 Canada reported 32 deaths for a total of 10,522 and 4,058 cases, five days after a record 4,672.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity" with no lockdown, reported no data over the weekend and is at 6,022 deaths. Neighboring Norway reported no deaths for the second day in a row to remain at 285, as well as 489 more cases.
No. 34 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26, added 33 cases Monday.
