Florida COVID weekly update: Miami-Dade remains at high transmission level as cases lower

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?

The average number of cases decreased, but deaths per day increased in the latest seven-day period in the state.

As of Thursday, Jan. 19, the state has added an average of 4,039 cases and 62 deaths per day in the past seven days, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from an average of 4,423 cases and 22 deaths per day in the previous seven-day period.

READ MORE HERE: What’s the COVID situation in Miami and why are Florida hospitals full of patients?

As of Friday, Jan. 20, more than 14,877,000 people were fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 7,421,680 cases and 84,605 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The number of cases is likely an undercount because the data doesn’t include positive results from at-home COVID testing. The state tracks only resident cases and deaths, excluding nonresident information.

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

Tracking COVID variants

The CDC is tracking 17 omicron subvariants, 13 of which are spreading throughout the United States and make up all new cases.

From Jan. 15 to Jan. 21, the XBB.1.5 strain was the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 49.1% of cases. The BQ.1.1 variant is now the second-most dominant strain, accounting for 26.9% of cases, according to CDC data.

In the Southeast region, which includes Florida, XBB.1.5 made up 39.1% of cases and was the most dominant strain, while BQ.1.1 was the second-most dominant, accounting for 34.8% of the cases.

COVID spread in South Florida

In the past week, the COVID-19 risk level in Miami-Dade County remained high.

At this level, the CDC recommends wearing a high-quality mask. For those at high risk of getting very sick, the agency says to consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public.

Broward, Monroe, Palm Beach and Manatee counties remained at a medium transmission level in the last week.

At this level, the CDC recommends those at high risk of severe illness talk with their doctors on whether to wear a mask or take other precautions.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID-19 Cases

From Jan. 12 to Jan. 18 Florida recorded 28,274 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 6,566 new resident cases in the week ending Jan. 18, reaching a cumulative total of 1,520,929 since March 2020, when the pandemic began. New cases were 11.94% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 1.81%.

▪ Broward reported 3,067 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 761,092. New cases were 12.42% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing increased by 5.58%.

▪ Palm Beach reported 1,929 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 470,977. New cases were 23.39% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 2.77%.

▪ Monroe reported 88 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 22,523. New cases were 3.30% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing increased by 7.62%.

▪ Manatee reported 435 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 121,209. New cases were 4.61% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 11.19%.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths

Florida has added 435 deaths in the past week, according to Miami Herald calculations of the CDC’s Community Profile Report.

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

Florida had a rate of 394 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic, according to the CDC report.

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

▪ Miami-Dade’s death toll is 12,094, an increase of 45 deaths from last Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 445 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,618, an increase of 41. That’s a rate of 339 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,876, an increase of 34. That’s a rate of 393 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Monroe’s death toll is 134, it saw no new increases. The county would be at a death rate of 181 deaths per 100,000 people if its population were that large.

▪ Manatee’s death toll is 1,694, an increase of eight. Manatee has a rate of 420 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

Florida COVID-19 vaccinations

About 14,877,408 eligible Floridians — 69.3% 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.

Here’s how many people have received the updated Pfizer-BioNTech booster in South Florida and Manatee County since Oct. 12, according to the CDC:

▪ In Miami-Dade, about 196,006 people, or 7.7% of the fully vaccinated population, have received the booster.

▪ In Broward, about 190,874 people have received the booster, or 6.13% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Palm Beach, about 183,089 people have received the booster, or 12.9% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Monroe, about 9,440 people have received the booster, or 13.3% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Manatee, about 50,574 people have received the booster, or 13.1% of the fully vaccinated population.