Florida reports fewest new COVID-19 cases of 2021, Miami-Dade fewest since Jan. 3
The Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 8,002 new cases, the lowest single-day number of the year, as might be expected for a holiday Monday after a weekend.
The state’s first day of under 10,000 new cases in 2021 also was Miami-Dade’s first day since Jan. 3 reporting under 2,000 new cases and Broward’s second day under 1,000 of 2021.
COVID deaths in Florida, however, remained in the triple digits with 137 resident deaths and 142 total deaths. The last day total deaths were under 100 was the 99 deaths of Dec. 28, the Monday after a three-day Christmas weekend.
For the novel coronavirus pandemic, Florida has had 1,579,281 cases, 24,274 resident deaths and 24,657 people dying overall. The state’s death toll is fourth-highest in the country, after New York, California and Texas, according to the New York Times database.
According to the state’s county-by-county reports, the positive test rate was 9.19% and the average daily positive test rate for the last seven days fell to 9.52% from 11.63%.
As for vaccinations, the state reported that 938,537 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 shot and 93,258 have received both doses.
Ex-Florida data scientist jailed, accused of illegally accessing emergency message system
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Florida
▪ Miami-Dade County reported 1,844 more people who tested positive and 22 more COVID-19 deaths as of Monday, putting its pandemic totals at 346,090 cases and 4,617 deaths. The positive test rate on Sunday was 9.05%. For the week, the state’s county-by-county breakdown says the average daily positive test rate descended to 9.08% from 9.99%.
▪ Broward County reported another 908 cases and 14 deaths, moving its totals to 159,670 cases and 1,983 deaths. Broward’s average daily positive test rate was 8.48% the last seven days. For the previous seven days, it was 9.72%. The positive test rate was 9.17% on Sunday.
▪ Palm Beach County reported 525 new cases (98,067 for the pandemic) and one death (2,037). The average daily positive test rate sat at 8.61% for the last seven days. It was 10.09% the previous seven days. Sunday’s positive rate was 8.69%.
▪ Monroe County reported 19 new cases and no deaths. Pandemic totals in the Keys are 4,960 cases and 37 deaths.
Why did some seniors get COVID-19 vaccines at Holiday Park without an appointment?
Jackson Health had COVID vaccine appointments open Monday — for about half an hour
Republicans and Democrats from Florida request more COVID-19 vaccines for snowbirds
Current hospitalizations
Government officials use current hospitalizations to decide the next action in dealing with the pandemic. On the state level, this has been steadily falling over the last month.
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.
As of 12:31 p.m. Monday, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration said there were 7,448 people hospitalized statewide, a jump of 127 from 12:31 p.m. Sunday. But much of that change happened outside South Florida. Compared to Sunday, Miami-Dade and Monroe’s hospitalizations stayed the same at 1,088 and four, respectively; Broward was down 13 to 624; and Palm Beach was down one to 426 hospitalizations.
Florida’s current hospitalization data does not always match the hospitalization data reported in Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard. Officials say this could be for a number of reasons, including the frequency of daily updates.
Monday, Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard reported 1,180 people admitted to the hospital from COVID-19, 12 less than Sunday and 41 fewer than a week ago. The number of patients in Intensive Care Unit Beds moved up to 241, tying its highest point of the last two weeks, up 11 from Sunday and 21 from a week ago.
