Florida continues to see COVID cases slide, deaths rise

JACKSONVILLE, Florida – Florida has reported just over 100,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week, a 33% drop from last month’s peak. The state has now had 3.4 million of its residents – about 14% of Floridians – diagnosed with coronavirus since the start of last year.

As in previous outbreaks, when the number of new cases begins to decline, deaths attributed to the virus have continued to rise for several weeks. The death toll in the Department of Health report on Friday was up 2,448 from the previous Friday – the biggest increase in seven days in Florida since the start of the pandemic.

The 100,012 new cases from Sept. 3-9 is the state’s lowest weekly total since mid-July. Florida has had three consecutive weeks with more than 150,000 new cases in August.

Duval County added 3,063 cases in seven days – the smallest increase since the week ending July 8. And for the past week, Duval recorded the lowest rate of new cases per 100,000 people in the state.

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The new case positivity rate of 13.5% is also the lowest since mid-July, according to a new data report from the Florida Department of Health released Friday night.

The age group with the most new cases remains the population under 12, which is currently not eligible for vaccination. The FDOH indicates that 17,165 children under the age of 12 have been infected with COVID-19 in the past week.

State data shows 69% of eligible Floridians (12 and older) have received at least one vaccine injection, a number of public health officials are trying to increase. FDOH says 349,845 doses were given in the past week, which is the fewest shots given in five weeks.