Florida COVID weekly update: Cases and new hospital patients remain on the decline

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?

In the past seven days, the state has added 6,419 cases and 71 deaths per day, on average, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the past three weeks, on average, 228 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, Aug. 23, more than 14,622,000 people are fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 6,977,905 cases and 79,243 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.

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

Tracking COVID variants

The two new omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are spreading throughout the United States. They were first detected in South Africa earlier this year.

From August 14 to Aug. 20, the BA.5 strain remained the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 88.9% of cases. The BA.4.6 variant has become the second most dominant strain, accounted for 6.3% 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 86.3% of cases in the area and BA.4.6 accounted for 8.8%, the most dominant strain and second most.

READ MORE: ‘We should definitely be concerned.’ Miami-Dade’s COVID-19 cases, positivity rates soar

COVID spread in South Florida

Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Manatee are at a high COVID-19 risk level, according to the CDC. Under the high-risk level, the CDC recommends everyone wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

If you are immunocompromised or at a high risk for severe disease, the CDC recommends wearing a mask as well as avoiding “nonessential” indoor activities in public.

Monroe lowered to a medium COVID-19 risk level. At this level, masks aren’t recommended and the CDC advises those who are at high risk for severe illness should ask their doctor about masks.

READ MORE: Miami-Dade’s COVID-19 cases, positivity rates soar

South Florida and Manatee County COVID-19 Cases

In the period from Aug. 11 to August 18, Florida has seen 45,160 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 8,154 new resident cases in the week ending August 18, reaching a total of 1,423,397. Cases added were 40% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 15.17%.

▪ Broward reported 4,033 new resident cases, reaching a total of 715,806. Cases added were 38% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 15.62%.

▪ Palm Beach reported 2,817 new resident cases, reaching a total of 438,905. Cases added were 38% more than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 6.53%.

▪ Monroe reported 107 new resident cases, reaching a total of 21,398. Cases added were 42% more than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 12.04%.

▪ Manatee reported 1,461 new resident cases, reaching a total of 113,590. Cases added were 44% more than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 5.2%.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths

Florida has added 511 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 368 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 11,500, an increase of 62 deaths from Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 423 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,199, an increase of 35. That’s a rate of 317 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,414, an increase of 40. That’s a rate of 362 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Monroe’s death toll is 127, an increase of one. The county would be at a death rate of 171 deaths per 100,000 people if its population were that large.

▪ Manatee’s death toll is 1,545, an increase of eight. Manatee has a rate of 383 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations

There were 3,646 people hospitalized in Florida, with 411 in the ICU, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services report on Tuesday.

Over the past three weeks, on average, 41 fewer people were hospitalized each day in Florida, showing a decrease in seven-day average hospital trends. This is the first time the trend has decreased since early April, when the newest omicron variant wave began.

At that same time, on average, four fewer people were in the ICU with COVID each day in Florida, another increase in trends. This is the first time the trend has decreased since early May.

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

Florida COVID-19 vaccinations

About 14,622,038 eligible Floridians — 68.1% 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 6,193,078 Floridians have received a booster, about 42.4% 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 828,430 people, or 35.2% of the fully vaccinated population, have received a booster.

▪ In Broward, about 584,274 people have received a booster, or 41.3% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Palm Beach, about 455,962 people have received a booster, or 45.2% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Monroe, about 23,889 people have received a booster, or 40.5% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Manatee, about 117,414 people have received a booster, or 46.3% of the fully vaccinated population.