Florida COVID weekly: South Florida counties return to a low transmission level

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?

As of Thursday, Nov. 11, the state has added an average of 1,690 cases and 26 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 down from an average of 1,761 cases per day in the previous seven-day period. The number of deaths per day remained the same: 26.

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

As of Friday, Nov. 18, more than 14,800,000 people were fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 7,227,523 cases and 82,714 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 tracks only resident cases and deaths, excluding nonresidents.

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

Tracking COVID variants

Six new omicron subvariants — BQ.1, BQ.1.1, BF.7, BA.2.75, BA.2 and BA.5.2.6 — are gaining traction, spreading throughout the United States. This is in addition to omicron’s two subvariants, BA.5 and BA.4.6.

From Nov. 13 to Nov. 19, the BQ.1 strain was the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 25.5% of cases. The BQ.1.1 variant is now the second-most dominant strain, accounting for 24.2% of cases, according to CDC data.

In the Southeast region, which includes Florida, BQ.1.1 made up 24.9% of cases and BA.5 accounted for 23.6%, the most dominant strain and second most.

COVID spread in South Florida

In the past week, Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties have been changed to a low COVID-19 risk level, joining Palm Beach and Manatee after being elevated to a medium level last week.

Under this level, the CDC recommends getting tested if you have symptoms and staying up-to-date with coronavirus vaccines. Masks are recommended only for those with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to the virus.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID-19 Cases

In the period from Nov. 10 to Nov. 17, Florida recorded 11,828 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 2,268 new resident cases in the week ending Nov. 17, reaching a cumulative total of 1,472,280 since March 2020, when the pandemic began. New cases were 0.27% higher than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 8.34%.

▪ Broward reported 1,244 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 740,376. New cases were 4.36% higher than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 3.12%.

▪ Palm Beach reported 808 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 456,781. New cases were 0.49% lower than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 4.73%.

▪ Monroe reported 37 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 22,063. New cases were 13.95% lower than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 0.8%.

▪ Manatee reported 215 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 118,437. New cases were 11.52% lower than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 8.98%.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths

Florida has added 179 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 385 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 11,910, an increase of 19 deaths from last Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 438 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,485, an increase of seven. That’s a rate of 332 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,736, an increase of six. That’s a rate of 383 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Monroe’s death toll is 132, no increase. The county would be at a death rate of 178 deaths per 100,000 people if its population were that large.

▪ Manatee’s death toll is 1,646, an increase of three. Manatee has a rate of 408 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

Florida COVID-19 vaccinations

About 14,803,839 eligible Floridians — 68.9 % 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.

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

▪ In Miami-Dade, about 852,454 people, or 35.9% of the fully vaccinated population, have received a booster.

▪ In Broward, about 602,067 people have received a booster, or 42.1% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Palm Beach, about 471,798 people have received a booster, or 46.2% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Monroe, about 24,958 people have received a booster, or 41.6% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Manatee, about 122,210 people have received a booster, or 47.5% of the fully vaccinated population.