Florida removes more than 32,000 COVID cases from tally without explanation

Florida has removed more than 32,000 COVID-19 cases from its official tally without explaining why.

The state Department of Health said Friday in its biweekly report that 7,537,137 residents since the beginning of the pandemic had been infected by the disease. It claimed 7,569,449 on March 31.

The cut is equivalent to 17% of infections the state has logged so far this year.

A department spokeswoman could not be immediately reached for comment late Friday when it posted its report. The report did not explain the decrease. The department has posted nothing on its Twitter page since Thursday and nothing on its Facebook page since Jan. 13.

Also: Florida COVID caseload doubles in late March over early in the month

Previously: Why Florida hasn't been reporting COVID cases and deaths to the CDC

Florida used to send weekly statistics to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But the state Health Department said last week that it had paused that practice to update its reporting procedures to match the CDC’s expanded its definition of a COVID case. The definition now includes test results from over-the-counter kits and tests performed on the dead.

Why the CDC’s loosening of what counts as a COVID case caused Florida’s tally to drop is unclear.

Meanwhile, other metrics continue to point to declining severity of the respiratory disease across Florida.

COVID-positive patients continue leaving hospitals

833 hospital patients Friday, the fewest since April 26, 2022. Far lower than the nearly 3,000 in early January. (Source: U.S. Health and Human Services Department).

Latest sewage data: Rising in Alachua County

Wastewater, which reveals coronavirus trends sooner than official case counts, shows viral levels rising slowly in Alachua County, home to Gainesville and the University of Florida.

Testing found 319 coronavirus particles per milliliter of sewage, Boston-based private laboratory Biobot Analytics said Wednesday. That’s a 30% increase since March 30. But still 83% less than late January.

Readings last week from Leon County, home to Tallahassee, revealed rising levels there, too. But Biobot has yet to report new results this week.

Sewage readings from Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Orange, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Seminole counties continue to show viral loads well below their winter peaks.

Should you mask up indoors?

The CDC can’t issue indoor masking recommendations in Florida due to lack of data from the state.

Death toll increases again

204 deaths were added to Florida’s COVID death toll in the two weeks ending Friday. That’s fewer than the 444 people state health officials recorded March 17-31. Fatalities can take weeks to enter official statistics. (Source: Florida Department of Health).

87,799 Floridians killed, excluding more than 3,000 that state auditors discovered in 2020, which the state Health Department did not count.

Florida vaccination rates still among nation's worst 

30.4% — Floridians 65 and older who have gotten the latest booster*

42.6% — Seniors boosted nationwide**

11.4% — Floridians up to date on shots

16.7% — Americans up to date

More than 7.5 million infected in Florida, which is more than 1 in 3 residents.

*Those 65 and older comprise the vast majority of COVID deaths.

**Only seniors in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee have less protection than those in Florida.

Chris Persaud is The Palm Beach Post's data reporter. Email him at cpersaud[at]pbpost.com. Click @ChrisMPersaud and follow him on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: COVID in Florida: State removes over 32,000 cases from count