Polk recorded 14,852 new COVID cases last week, 18% more than previous week

The omicron wave has not yet crested in Polk County.

The county recorded 14,852 new COVID-19 infections in the week ending Thursday, according to a weekly update from the Florida Department of Health. That signaled an 18.5% increase from the previous week and continued a seven-week trend of starkly escalating numbers.

The official total doesn’t include infections detected through home tests.

The positivity rate for testing in Polk County fell slightly to 32.6% from 33.8% a week earlier. The rate had never surpassed 30% in any of the previous waves of the pandemic.

Department of Health officials have said that a rate above 10% indicates a concerning level of community spread.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Tracker on Friday showed Polk County’s positivity rate at 38.76%.

Indeed, the CDC now rates the transmission rate in Polk and all other Florida counties as high. The agency listed prevalence Friday at 1,727 cases per 100,000 residents, more than 17 times higher than the threshold for “high” community transmission of the virus.

More: Weeks into Florida's omicron wave, surge of COVID-19 deaths begins

More: Omicron spawns rising COVID-19 cases in Polk County hospitals

“The case count in Polk County has continued to increase, although at a slower rate,” Dr. Joy Jackson, director of the Florida Department of Health in Polk County, said in an emailed statement Friday afternoon. “The case positivity had a slight drop of about 1% in the latest report.”

The CDC reported 554 new COVID-related hospitalizations in the past week, an increase of 56.1% for the period. The use of hospital beds for COVID patients rose at a much lower rate, 11.2%, and intensive-care admissions rose 7.3%.

“We continue to urge the public to take measures to keep themselves and the people around them safe,” Jackson said. “Community transmission for Polk remains high. Get vaccinated, stay home when sick, wear your mask in public areas and social distance when possible.”

Vaccinations rose slightly after declining the previous week. The Department of Health reported 2,800 doses dispensed in Polk County, 5.2% more than the week before. The figure includes first doses as well as booster inoculations.

Among eligible Polk County residents (age 5 and older), 65% have received at least one dose of a vaccine, the state reported. The average for all Florida counties is 72%

The state doesn’t disclose vaccination rates by age group at the county level. Statewide, the rate ascends by age group from 18% for residents age 5-through-11 to 91% for those 65 and older.

The CDC lists 67.58% of eligible Polk County residents as at least partially vaccinated and 57.8% as fully vaccinated, defined as having received an initial two-dose regimen of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson. The CDC now recommends supplementary doses six months after the initial round of vaccinations.

Florida registered 430,297 new infections in Friday’s update, a spike of 8.4% from the previous week. The positivity rate for Florida residents was 29.3%.

The Department of Health recorded 470 COVID-related deaths, an increase of 155.4% from a week earlier. The cumulative death total for the state is 63,158.

Deaths are a lagging indicator and sometimes aren’t recorded for weeks or even months after they occur. The Department of Health does not report deaths by county of residence.

The Florida Department of Health now lists two sites in Polk County as offering oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19. The department’s website shows that the medications are available at the Publix at 1395 Sixth St. NW and the Walgreens at 705 First St. S.

The pills, authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration, are administered within the first few days of an infection. Studies have shown that they reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID complications.

Jackson said the antiviral drugs require prescriptions from a medical provider.

Publix’s communications office did not immediately reply to questions about the availability of the antiviral drugs. Supplies of the pills are scarce nationwide, according to various media reports.

Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center listed on the Department of Health’s website as a provider of AstraZeneca Evusheld, a preventative monoclonal antibody therapy. Kendra Kramer, a spokesperson for LRH, said the hospital had not received any doses of Evusheld as of Friday afternoon but said that could change at any time.

Evusheld, approved for emergency use, is used as a preventative against COVID for children and adults with compromised immune systems and those with a history of severe adverse reactions to a COVID-19 vaccine.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: COVID cases continue to rise in Polk County; positivity drops slightly