COVID-19 in Florida: 12,075 new cases, 101 more deaths

David Fleshler, South Florida Sun Sentinel

The test positivity rate more than doubled from the previous day, jumping to 22.75%, an unfavorable development for one of the most closely watched statistics of the pandemic. Experts say the rate should be below 5%.

The Florida Department of Health said the sudden shift in the positivity rate “should be interpreted with caution” because of the holidays, since doctor’s offices, testing sites and laboratories have reduced hours. As a result, fewer people were tested and processing took longer, which might have skewed the results, the department said.

Take a deeper look at Florida’s updated coronavirus numbers.

South Florida

Testing and positivity

Public health experts say the virus is considered under control when the COVID-19 test positivity rate is under 5%. But since Oct. 29, Florida has exceeded 5% in its widely publicized calculation for assessing the rate for testing of residents.

Deaths

Hospitalizations

Hospitalizations hit a peak in late July of about 9,500 patients statewide, then dipped as low as 2,011 on Oct. 19. The numbers steadily increased throughout November and December.

Explore the map of current hospital capacity across Florida.

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