Florida COVID weekly update: New cases, hospital patients drop to March lows

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?

In the past seven days, the state has added 1,482 cases and 43 deaths per day, on average, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Weekly averages are dropping to levels not seen since March after the decline of the first omicron variant wave.

Over the past three weeks, on average, 67 fewer cases were logged each day across the state, showing a decrease in new cases.

COVID information shifting to weekly trends. What to know about finding the report

As of Tuesday, Oct. 11, more than 14,714,100 people are fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 7,134,231 cases and 81,764 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The number of cases is likely an undercount due to positive results from at-home COVID testing. The state only tracks resident cases and deaths, excluding nonresidents.

Also, total hospitalizations have dipped to levels not seen since early June, and continue to go down.

Here’s a breakdown of what to know this week:

Tracking COVID variants

The two omicron subvariants, BA.4.6 and BA.5, are spreading throughout the United States. They were first detected in South Africa earlier this year.

From Oct. 2 to Oct. 8, the BA.5 strain remained the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 79.2% of cases. The BA.4.6 variant remained the second most dominant strain, accounting for 13.6% of cases, according to CDC data.

In the first week of May, the BA.5 variant accounted for only about 1% of new COVID cases.

In the Southeast region, which includes Florida, BA.5 accounted for 76.2% of cases in the area and BA.4.6 accounted for 17.4%, the most dominant strain and second most.

COVID spread in South Florida

In the past week, Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach dropped to a low COVID-19 risk level, joining Manatee County. Under this level, the CDC recommends to get tested if you have symptoms and stay up-to-date with coronavirus vaccines.

Masks are only recommended for those with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to the virus.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID-19 Cases

In the period from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6, Florida has seen 17,476 new cases, according to Miami Herald calculations of the CDC’s Community Profile Report published Friday.

Here’s a breakdown of the new COVID cases in South Florida and Manatee County, according to the report.

▪ Miami-Dade reported 1,970 new resident cases in the week ending Oct. 6, reaching a total of 1,460,070. Cases added were 33.22% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 19.44%.

▪ Broward reported 1,080 new resident cases, reaching a total of 734,016. Cases added were 31.99% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 17.47%.

▪ Palm Beach reported 930 new resident cases, reaching a total of 452,090. Cases added were 21.65% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 16.5%.

▪ Monroe reported 35 new resident cases, reaching a total of 21,858. Cases added were 14.63% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 17.37%.

▪ Manatee reported 207 new resident cases, reaching a total of 117,219. Cases added were 36.11% fewer than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 40.7%.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths

Florida has added 278 deaths in the past week, according to Miami Herald calculations of the CDC’s Friday Community Profile Report.

It is unclear when these newly reported deaths occurred. The Community Profile Report updates Florida’s county tolls and rates about once every seven days.

As of Friday’s Community Profile Report, Florida had a rate of 380 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic.

Here’s where death rates and tolls stand in South Florida and Manatee County, according to the CDC:

▪ Miami-Dade’s death toll is 11,780, an increase of 29 deaths from Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 434 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,403, an increase of 19. That’s a rate of 328 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,642, an increase of 12. That’s a rate of 377 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Monroe’s death toll is 131, no increase. The county would be at a death rate of 176 deaths per 100,000 people if its population were that large.

▪ Manatee’s death toll is 1,614, an increase of five. Manatee has a rate of 400 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations

There were 1,546 people hospitalized in Florida, with 157 in the ICU, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services report on Tuesday.

Over the past three weeks, on average, 37 fewer people were hospitalized each day in Florida, showing a decrease in seven-day average hospital trends.

At that same time, on average, five fewer people were in the ICU with COVID each day in Florida, another decrease in trends.

During omicron’s January peak, more than 15,000 patients were hospitalized in Florida, according to HHS data.

Florida COVID-19 vaccinations

About 14,697,269 eligible Floridians — 68.5% of the state’s population — have completed the two-dose series of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to the CDC.

About 6,285,276 Floridians have received a booster, about 42.7% of the state’s fully vaccinated population.

Here’s how many people have received a booster in South Florida and Manatee County, according to the CDC:

▪ In Miami-Dade, about 840,414 people, or 35.5% of the fully vaccinated population, have received a booster.

▪ In Broward, about 592,531 people have received a booster, or 41.7% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Palm Beach, about 462,855 people have received a booster, or 45.6% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Monroe, about 24,373 people have received a booster, or 41% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Manatee, about 119,419 people have received a booster, or 46.7% of the fully vaccinated population.