Florida breaks record with over 17,000 coronavirus cases in one day

Florida recorded more than 17,000 cases of the coronavirus as of Thursday, ending a year that brought more than a million cases of the virus to Florida and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives across the country. This is the largest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases in Florida.

The Florida Department of Health announced 17,192 cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 1,323,315 since the first publicly announced infection in March. The weekly average of cases has increased to about 12,702 reported cases per day.

During the summer, Florida broke national records, registering more than 15,000 cases in one day. Since then, only California and Texas have reported larger one-day increases.

About 166,000 tests were processed as of Wednesday, a daily positivity rate of 11.57%, according to state data that is updated and reported every 24 hours.

“The number we’re getting right now is probably an underestimate of the disease,” said Dr. Marissa Levine, professor of public health and family medicine at the University of South Florida.

Levine said some cases may never be counted by state officials because testing is just not widespread enough. She said she anticipates an increase in hospitalizations and deaths from coronaviruses. With Florida’s lax restrictions, Levine said “it is only a matter of time” until a variant strain of the coronavirus is identified here, as was the case earlier this week in California and Colorado.

Health officials also recorded 133 deaths from the virus on Thursday. Statewide, 21,990 people have died. The weekly average of deaths increased to around 117 people reported dead per day.

The nation also reported record deaths this week. The United States recorded a record daily death toll from COVID-19 on Wednesday, surpassing the peak reached just a day earlier. More than 3,740 people died from the coronavirus on Wednesday, up from 3,725 on Tuesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.

Vaccinations: As of Thursday, 211,165 people in Florida had been vaccinated against the coronavirus. It has increased by 35,700 people since Wednesday.

In Hillsborough County, 13,562 people were vaccinated; at Pinellas, 13,559; to Polk, 3,248; in Manatee, 3,298; at Pasco, 4,259; to Hernando, 1462; and in Citrus, 905.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties have vaccinated the most people to date, followed by Orange counties, then Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

The vaccine rollout has been a slow and confusing process for many in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that residents 65 and older can get the vaccine, but many are struggling to find information on when and where they can sign up for it.

If more people are hospitalized because of COVID-19, Levine said the stress on the hospital system could affect vaccine rollout.

“If the health system is overwhelmed, it impacts the ability to immunize adequately and effectively,” she said.

Hospitalizations: About 6,320 people are hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of coronavirus statewide, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration. Approximately 1,300 are in the Tampa Bay area.

Cases leading to hospitalization increased by 366 admissions.

Statewide, about 22% of hospital beds and 18% of intensive care unit beds were available. In Tampa Bay, about 20% of hospital beds and 16% of intensive care beds were available. Tampa General Hospital and Bayonet Point Regional Medical Center in Pasco County had only a handful of intensive care beds available Thursday morning.

Positivity: Florida’s average weekly positivity rate is around 11%, according to Johns Hopkins University. It increased after the Christmas holidays closed, leading to a drop in testing.

When positivity is too high, it indicates that there is not enough widespread testing to capture and stop the spread of mild and asymptomatic cases. The World Health Organization established a recommendation for a positivity rate of 5% or less before loosening movement restrictions. Only five states and the District of Columbia meet this recommendation, according to the university.

Local numbers: Tampa Bay added 3,150 coronavirus cases and 34 deaths on Thursday.

Manatee County reported 11 deaths, Polk had seven, Citrus had five, Pinellas had four, Hillsborough and Hernando counties had three each and Pasco reported one.

Polk County leads the region with an average weekly positivity rate of 16 percent, followed by Hillsborough with 14 percent, Citrus, Hernando and Pasco with 13 percent and Manatee and Pinellas with 10 percent. Positivity rates have increased due to the drop in testing due to Christmas shutdowns.

Levine urged people to behave responsibly, especially during the New Years holidays. She said Florida is likely to experience a high rate of illness in the coming weeks due to the holiday season. .

“Now is not the time to assume we can just let our guard down,” Levine said. “Our guard has to be in place and it has to be even higher than before.”

According to the latest count, Hillsborough has 77,118 cases and 1,078 deaths; Pinellas has 44,975 cases and 1,056 deaths; Polk has 37,403 cases and 795 deaths; The manatee has 22,332 cases and 438 deaths; Pasco has 21,932 cases and 379 deaths; Hernando has 7,336 cases and 280 deaths; and Citrus has 6,663 cases and 268 deaths.

How fast is the number of COVID-19 cases in Florida increasing?

Is Florida’s Coronavirus Outbreak Still Growing?

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