Florida COVID weekly update: Hospital patients increase as new case trends stagnate

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?

In the past seven days, the state has added 10,104 cases and 64 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, 27 fewer cases were logged each day in Florida, showing a stagnation in new cases.

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

As of Tuesday, August 2, more than 14,581,000 people are fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 6,825,453 cases and 77,735 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 also 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 July 24-July 30, the BA.5 strain remained the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 85.5% of cases. The BA.4 accounted for 7.7%, remaining the second most dominant strain, according to CDC data.

In the first week of May, the two variants accounted for only about 1% of new COVID cases.

In the Southeast region, which includes Florida, BA.5 accounted for 83.8% of cases in the area and BA.4 accounted for 7.8%, 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 and Monroe 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.

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

South Florida and Manatee County COVID-19 Cases

In the period from July 28-21, Florida has seen 78,210 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 14,461 new resident cases in the week ending July 28, reaching a total of 1,388,297. Cases added were 9% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 2.19%.

▪ Broward reported 6,606 new resident cases, reaching a total of 698,638. Cases added were 8% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing increased by 0.8%.

▪ Palm Beach reported 4,466 new resident cases, reaching a total of 427,101. Cases added were 2% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 0.7%.

▪ Monroe reported 212 new resident cases, reaching a total of 20,941. Cases added were 6% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 8.83%.

▪ Manatee reported 1,273 new resident cases, reaching a total of 109,981. Cases added were 4% fewer than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 3.68%.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths

Florida has added 468 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 360 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 11,366, an increase of 95 deaths from Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 418 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,073, an increase of six. That’s a rate of 311 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,319, an increase of 44. That’s a rate of 355 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Monroe’s death toll is 123, a recalculation that reduced the number by one. The county would be at a death rate of 166 deaths per 100,000 people if its population were that large.

▪ Manatee’s death toll is 1,531, an increase of 22. Manatee has a rate of 380 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations

There were 4,458 people hospitalized in Florida, with 471 in the ICU, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services report on Tuesday.

Over the past three weeks, on average, 19 more people were hospitalized each day in Florida, showing an increase in seven-day average hospital trends. At that same time, on average, three more 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 14,581,207 eligible Floridians — 67.9% 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 6,140,244 Floridians have received a booster, about 42.1% 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 820,694 people, or 35% of the fully vaccinated population, have received a booster.

▪ In Broward, about 579,568 people have received a booster, or 41% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Palm Beach, about 452,934 people have received a booster, or 45% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Monroe, about 23,740 people have received a booster, or 40.3% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Manatee, about 116,436 people have received a booster, or 46% of the fully vaccinated population.