Florida COVID weekly update: How decline of virus spread is affecting new cases, patients

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?

In the past seven days, the state has added 2,767 cases and 56 deaths per day, on average, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the past three weeks, on average, 145 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, Sept. 20, more than 14,666,000 people are fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 7,098,315 cases and 80,954 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 Sept. 11 to Sept. 17, the BA.5 strain remained the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 84.8% of cases. The BA.4.6 variant remained the second most dominant strain, accounting for 10.3% 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 81.7% of cases in the area and BA.4.6 accounted for 13.6%, the most dominant strain and second most.

COVID spread in South Florida

Miami-Dade is 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.

Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe remain at a medium risk level. At this level, masks aren’t recommended and the CDC advises that those who are at high risk for severe illness should ask their doctor about masks.

In the last week, Manatee County lowered to a low COVID-19 risk level. 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. 8 to Sept. 15, Florida has seen 38,871 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 5,465 new resident cases in the week ending Sept. 15, reaching a total of 1,450,945. Cases added were 22.01% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing increased by 2.64%.

▪ Broward reported 2,733 new resident cases, reaching a total of 729,189. Cases added were 15.65% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing increased by 1.91%.

▪ Palm Beach reported 1,786 new resident cases, reaching a total of 448,505. Cases added were 28.82% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing increased by 11.64%.

▪ Monroe reported 57 new resident cases, reaching a total of 21,730. Cases added were 39.02% more than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 2.41%.

▪ Manatee reported 461 new resident cases, reaching a total of 116,335. Cases added were 23.93% fewer than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 0.86%.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths

Florida has added 355 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 376 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 11,678, an increase of 30 deaths from Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 430 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,333, an increase of 26. That’s a rate of 324 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,575, an increase of 30. That’s a rate of 372 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Monroe’s death toll is 131, an increase of two. 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 1,585, an increase of nine. Manatee has a rate of 393 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations

There were 2,293 people hospitalized in Florida, with 268 in the ICU, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services report on Tuesday.

Over the past three weeks, on average, 43 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 increase 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 14,666,081 eligible Floridians — 68.3% 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 6,233,991 Floridians have received a booster, about 42.5% 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 834,217 people, or 35.3% of the fully vaccinated population, have received a booster.

▪ In Broward, about 587,909 people have received a booster, or 41.4% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Palm Beach, about 458,606 people have received a booster, or 45.3% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Monroe, about 24,086 people have received a booster, or 40.7% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Manatee, about 118,432 people have received a booster, or 46.5% of the fully vaccinated population.