Florida COVID update for Wednesday: 3,184 cases, 51 deaths and positivity below 5%

Howard Cohen
·3 min read

Florida’s Department of Health on Wednesday announced 3,184 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state also announced 51 new deaths. All were residents.

The state has recorded a known total of 2,278,549 coronavirus cases and 36,598 deaths. Among those who died, 35,882 were residents and 716 were nonresidents.

On Wednesday, the state reported the results of 70,071 residents tested the day before. The state’s percent positivity decreased from 5% to 4.55%.

More than 7.25 million Floridians have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to Wednesday’s vaccine report.

COVID-19 in Florida

▪ Miami-Dade County reported 529 new cases and two deaths, putting its pandemic totals at 492,232 cases and 6,275 deaths.

In Miami-Dade, 350,938 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 995,781 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna.

Percent positivity decreased from 4.22% to 3.95%. The 14-day average was 5.05% on Tuesday’s Miami-Dade New Normal Dashboard.

▪ Broward County reported 311 new cases and 13 new deaths, putting its pandemic totals at 240,790 cases and 2,978 deaths.

In Broward, 217,425 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 668,501 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna.

Percent positivity decreased from 4.30% to 3.66%.

▪ Palm Beach County reported 193 new cases and seven deaths, bringing its cumulative count to 145,850 cases and 2,808 deaths.

In Palm Beach County, 154,753 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 533,028 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna.

Percent positivity decreased from 4.26% to 4.06%.

▪ Monroe County added six new cases and no deaths. Pandemic totals in the Keys are at 7,004 cases and 49 deaths.

In the Keys, 10,978 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 28,024 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna.

Percent positivity decreased from 3.62% to 2.5%.

FLORIDA COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATION

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reports the number of patients hospitalized statewide with a “primary diagnosis of COVID.” The data, which is updated at least every hour, does not distinguish between the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital intensive care units and those in acute-care beds, which require less attention from nurses.

Government officials use current hospitalizations to decide the next steps in fighting the pandemic.

As of 1:46 p.m. Wednesday, the agency said there were 2,727 people hospitalized. Of these, Miami-Dade had 450; Broward, 383; Palm Beach, 179; and Monroe, 1, the agency said.

According to Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard, county hospitals have reported 472 COVID-19 patients, down from 489 on Monday. There were 65 new patients and 78 were discharged.

State hospitalization data doesn’t always match Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard data for various reasons, including the frequency of daily updates.