Bay County COVID-19 cases up 80%; continues month-long spiking trend

Mike Stucka
·4 min read
A patient receives a COVID-19 vaccination in Panama City.

BAY COUNTY — Bay County reported an 80% spike in new COVID-19 cases last week, continuing a month-long surge in infections.

According to the latest state statistics, the county reported 2,667 new cases last week ending Sunday. A week earlier the county reported 1,482 new cases. Three weeks ago, the county reported 702 new cases.

Throughout the pandemic, the county has reported a total of 37,964 cases.

Ascension Sacred Heart Bay has reported a continued rise in new hospitalized COVID-19 patients over the past month.

Panama City: Panama City hospitals tighten visiting restrictions as COVID-19 cases rise

Panama City Beach: What COVID-19 pandemic? Snowbirds flock to Panama City Beach this year in 'droves'

The health care organization announced Tuesday that there were a total of 47 COVID-19 patients in its hospitals in Bay, Walton and Gulf counties. The three hospitals had a total of 30 COVID-19 patients a week earlier.

Meanwhile, Florida reported 408,841 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 3.4% from the previous week. Then, 423,150 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 were reported.

Florida ranked 11th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week, coronavirus cases in the United States increased 5.8% from the week before, with 5,438,242 cases reported. With 6.45% of the country's population, Florida had 7.52% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 39 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Many counties did not report data during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, disrupting the latest week's statistics. That data is being compared to a week with backlogged cases and deaths from the New Year's holiday weekend. Week-to-week comparisons are skewed and these numbers will be unreliable even as they're accurate to what states reported.

Related: Bay County on the upswing: More high-paying jobs, fewer unemployed expected in 2022 despite COVID-19

Gulf County reported 271 cases in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 150 cases. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 3,481 cases.

Washington County reported 439 cases in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 179 cases. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 5,346 cases.

Florida does not directly publish county-level death data.

Across Florida, cases fell in four counties, with the best declines in Miami-Dade County, with 93,321 cases from 110,441 a week earlier; in Palm Beach County, with 26,866 cases from 29,147; and in Broward County, with 48,103 cases from 50,254.

Latest numbers: See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Florida ranked 18th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 75.5% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 74.6%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Wednesday, Florida reported administering another 495,312 vaccine doses, including 129,643 first doses. In the previous week, the state-administered 456,278 vaccine doses, including 116,996 first doses. In all, Florida reported it has administered 34,496,916 total doses.

Within Florida, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Miami-Dade County with 3,435 cases per 100,000 per week; Broward County with 2,463; and Alachua County with 2,427. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Miami-Dade County, with 93,321 cases; Broward County, with 48,103 cases; and Orange County, with 30,752. Weekly case counts rose in 63 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Duval, Brevard and Pinellas counties.

A total of 5,041,918 people in Florida have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 62,504 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States, 65,699,947 people have tested positive and 850,605 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Florida's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Jan. 16.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 16,971

  • The week before that: 15,986

  • Four weeks ago: 3,039

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 203,221

  • The week before that: 185,954

  • Four weeks ago: 90,739

Hospitals in 41 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 35 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 43 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Florida COVID-19: Bay County cases skyrocket 80%