Florida COVID weekly update: A drop in new cases — here’s what the trends are showing
What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?
In the past seven days, the state has added 10,692 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, 45 more cases were logged each day in Florida. New cases had started to increase again last week after nearly a month of stagnation, but trends have returned to stagnating.
COVID information shifting to weekly trends. What to know about finding the report
As of Tuesday, July 26, more than 14,565,000 people are fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 6,754,722 cases and 77,286 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 17-July 23, the BA.5 strain remained the most dominant strain in the U.S., accounting for 81.9% of cases. The BA.4 accounted for 12.9%, 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 80.2% of cases in the area and BA.4 accounted for 14.2%, 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 21-12, 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 15,834 new resident cases in the week ending July 21, reaching a total of 1,373,836. Cases added were 48% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 4.97%.
▪ Broward reported 7,166 new resident cases, reaching a total of 692,032. Cases added were 48% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 1.99%.
▪ Palm Beach reported 4,559 new resident cases, reaching a total of 422,635. Cases added were 46% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 7.79%.
▪ Monroe reported 226 new resident cases, reaching a total of 20,729. Cases added were 47% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 5.15%.
▪ Manatee reported 1,332 new resident cases, reaching a total of 108,708. Cases added were 43% fewer than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 6.14%.
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 359 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 11,271, an increase of 48 deaths from Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 415 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.
▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,067, an increase of 42. That’s a rate of 311 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.
▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,275, an increase of 33. That’s a rate of 352 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.
▪ Monroe’s death toll is 124, an increase of three. The county would be at a death rate of 167 deaths per 100,000 people if its population were that large.
▪ Manatee’s death toll is 1,509, an increase of 13. Manatee has a rate of 374 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.
Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations
There were 4,458 people hospitalized in Florida, with 453 in the ICU, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services report on Tuesday.
Over the past three weeks, on average, 37 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 14,565,785 eligible Floridians — 67.8% 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 6,117,102 Floridians have received a booster, about 42% 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 817,358 people, or 34.9% of the fully vaccinated population, have received a booster.
▪ In Broward, about 577,451 people have received a booster, or 40.9% of the fully vaccinated population.
▪ In Palm Beach, about 451,458 people have received a booster, or 44.9% of the fully vaccinated population.
▪ In Monroe, about 23,674 people have received a booster, or 40.3% of the fully vaccinated population.
▪ In Manatee, about 116,061 people have received a booster, or 45.9% of the fully vaccinated population.
