FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Florida posted 4,752 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, an unusually low number likely skewed by the closure of testing sites last week for Tropical Storm Isaias.
The case total is the lowest since June 23, when the state posted 3,286. But many testing sites had been closed starting Thursday and many remain closed. The tropical storm may have also affected the logging and reporting of test results that came in from previous days.
There were 73 new deaths, bringing the total to 7,279, according to the Florida Department of Health, which posts daily updates.
New test totals reflect the staggered results of a few days' worth of swabs, and Mondays typically produce lower numbers because of the weekend.
But the seven-day average, which smooths out day-to-day dips and spikes, has been declining since July 17.
SOUTH FLORIDA
South Florida, which accounts for 29% of Florida's population, reported 1,834 new cases in the past day, or 39% of the daily total for the state.
Broward County: 556 new coronavirus cases were reported Monday, bringing the total to 58,531. A total of 773 people have died, three more than reported Sunday.
Palm Beach County: 324 new cases, bringing the total to 34,550. A total of 860 people have died, 12 more than reported on Sunday.
Miami-Dade County: 954 new cases, bringing the total to 123,644. A total of 1,710 people have died. That's 25 more than reported Sunday.
TESTING AND POSITIVITY RATE
A total of 3.8 million people have been tested in Florida since the pandemic began, producing a positivity rate of 13.09%. The state reports that 3.3 million people tested negative and 491,884 tested positive.
The positivity rate is an important figure, since it indicates the prevalence of the disease in the state's population. In May, Florida's positivity rate was about 5%. State officials say they'd like to see it to drop to less than 10%.
For daily test results reported on Monday, Florida had a 9.09% positivity rate, a decrease from Sunday's 9.28%.
In South Florida the rates are 8.4% for Broward, down from Sunday's 12%; 12.5% for Miami-Dade, down from 15.3%; and 9.8% for Palm Beach County, up from 8.2%.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 increased by two statewide Monday and decreased by two in South Florida.
The number currently hospitalized stood at 7,970 at noon, according to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration. About 24 hours earlier, the same report listed 7,968 patients.
Miami-Dade County has the most people hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of the new coronavirus: 1,655 patients, a decrease of five since Sunday. Next is Broward with 1,159, a decrease of 11. Palm Beach County has 521, an increase of 14.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 27,366 have been hospitalized, according to the state health department. That's an increase of 12,541 patients since July 1, when the total stood at 14,825.
Experts say people older than 65 are most vulnerable to hospitalization and death, along with people who have underlying health issues, including weakened immune systems, diabetes or obesity.
