Florida COVID weekly update: South Florida enters low risk level of community transmission

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?

In the past seven days, the state has added 1,391 cases and 29 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, 118 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, Oct. 4, more than 14,697,200 people are fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 7,123,858 cases and 81,464 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. 25 to Oct. 1, the BA.5 strain remained the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 81.3% of cases. The BA.4.6 variant remained the second most dominant strain, accounting for 12.8% 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 78.2% of cases in the area and BA.4.6 accounted for 16.6%, the most dominant strain and second most.

COVID spread in South Florida

In the last week, Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach dropped to a low COVID-19 risk level, joining Manatee County. 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. 22 to Sept. 29, Florida has seen 17,476 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 2,950 new resident cases in the week ending Sept. 29, reaching a total of 1,458,100. Cases added were 29.93% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 12.32%.

▪ Broward reported 1,588 new resident cases, reaching a total of 732,936. Cases added were 26.45% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 11.6%.

▪ Palm Beach reported 1,187 new resident cases, reaching a total of 451,160. Cases added were 19.14% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 9.91%.

▪ Monroe reported 41 new resident cases, reaching a total of 21,823. Cases added were 21.15% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 4.12%.

▪ Manatee reported 324 new resident cases, reaching a total of 117,012. Cases added were 8.22% fewer than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 14.4%.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths

Florida has added 356 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 379 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 11,751, an increase of 27 deaths from Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 432 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,384, an increase of 28. That’s a rate of 327 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,630, an increase of 23. That’s a rate of 376 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Monroe’s death toll is 131, no increase. 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 1,609, an increase of eight. Manatee has a rate of 399 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations

There were 1,768 people hospitalized in Florida, with 195 in the ICU, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services report on Tuesday.

Over the past three weeks, on average, 44 fewer people were hospitalized each day in Florida, showing a decrease in seven-day average hospital trends.

At that same time, on average, three fewer people were in the ICU with COVID each day in Florida, another decrease 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 14,697,269 eligible Floridians — 68.4% 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 6,270,102 Floridians have received a booster, about 42.7% 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 838,404 people, or 35.5% of the fully vaccinated population, have received a booster.

▪ In Broward, about 591,141 people have received a booster, or 41.6% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Palm Beach, about 461,544 people have received a booster, or 45.5% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Monroe, about 24,276 people have received a booster, or 40.9% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Manatee, about 119,243 people have received a booster, or 46.7% of the fully vaccinated population.