Florida COVID update: 24,753 new cases — state breaks record for third time this week

Devoun Cetoute
·4 min read
COVID-unit nurse Yaimara Cruz receives the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami on Dec. 15.

Florida has yet again broken a new case record as the state reported 24,753 more COVID-19 cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday.

Florida — which makes up about 6.5% of the U.S. population, accounted for 18.7% of the country’s new cases on Tuesday — based on data the state is reporting to the CDC. As of Aug. 10, the state’s seven-day moving average of new cases was 21,156, up from a moving average of 3,701 on July 10. That number represents roughly a 472% increase, stemming from the highly contagious delta variant.

On Wednesday, the state also reported four new deaths the day before.

In all, Florida has recorded at least 2,806,813 confirmed COVID cases statewide and 40,182 deaths, according to the CDC.

Tuesday marked another entry in a recent string of record-breaking days. The last highest single day case increase was Friday with 23,958 new cases and then Thursday with 22,776.

From July 30 to Aug. 5, Florida reported 134,506 cases, and 175 deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health’s weekly report released on Fridays. There were 24,086 more cases this week than last week, a 21% jump, and the percent positivity increased to 18.9% from 18.4% last week, the report said. High positivity rates indicate community spread.

COVID-19 vaccine rates in Florida

As of the Wednesday report, 10,704,107 eligible Floridians — 49.8% of the state’s population — have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to the CDC.

A much higher number of Floridians have received at least one dose of the vaccine — about 60.2% of the state’s population, or 12,933,877.

COVID-19 VACCINES IN SOUTH FLORIDA

The CDC reports that every county’s level of community transmission is high.

▪ In Miami-Dade County, 2,117,199, or 77.9% of the county’s total population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. Only 1,703,343 people are fully vaccinated, or 62.7% of the county’s total population.

In Dade, 90.1% of the population 12 years old and over, 92.9% of people 18 and older, and 99.9% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

▪ In Broward County, 1,277,278 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 65.4% of the total population, according to the CDC. Only 1,029,883 people are fully vaccinated, or 52.7% of the county’s total population.

In the county, 75.9% of the population 12 years old and over, 77.9% of those 18 and older, and 96.2% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

▪ In Palm Beach County, 905,185 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 60.5% of the total population, according to the CDC. Only 768,351 people are fully vaccinated, or 51.3% of the county’s total population.

In the county, 69% of people 12 years old and over, 71% of people 18 and older, and 89.4% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

▪ In Monroe County, 53,937 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 72.7% of the total population, according to the CDC. Only 44,555 people are fully vaccinated, or 60% of the county’s total population.

In Monroe, 81% of people 12 years old and over, 83.3% of people 18 and older, and 99.9% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

▪ In Manatee County, 225,951 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 56% of the total population, according to the CDC. Only 190,050 people are fully vaccinated, or 47.1% of the county’s total population.

In the county, 63.3% of people 12 years old and over, 65.7% of people 18 and older, and 87.5% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida

There were 15,449 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida on Wednesday — breaking the state’s current hospitalization record for the 11th consecutive day, according to data reported to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services from 232 Florida hospitals. COVID-19 patients also accounted for 28% of all hospital patients.

This figure represents an increase of 280 from Tuesday’s report. The average number of COVID-19 patients per hospital soared from 65.7 to 66.6.

Florida COVID hospitalizations keep rising, ICU patients over 3,100, federal HHS says

Of that 15,449, HHS reports 3,114 people are in intensive care, representing 47.6% of the state’s ICU hospital beds. The state has 20.4% of the country’s COVID patients in ICU beds.