MIAMI — The state of Florida's COVID-19 dashboard reported 8,401 new cases, the fewest in 12 days, but more than 2,000 new cases were from Miami-Dade for the 12th consecutive day.
Throughout the pandemic, the Sunday case numbers have tended to be lower than the rest of the week because less data is collected and entered on the weekend. Sunday's state total was the lowest for any day since 7,985 on Dec. 8.
Another 95 resident deaths and two non-resident deaths brought Florida's pandemic totals to 1,201,566 cases, 20,568 resident deaths and 20,861 total deaths.
As for the positive test rate, Florida reported 7.91% for Saturday, a ministep down for the day. The average daily positive test rate for the last seven days rose to 8.75% from 8.10% for the previous seven days.
South Florida counties COVID cases and deaths
Miami-Dade County reported 2,019 more people who tested positive and 16 more COVID-19 deaths, putting its pandemic totals at 274,117 cases and 4,066 deaths. The positive test rate on Saturday was 8.15%. The state's county-by-county breakdown says the average daily positive test rate stool stepped from 8.52% for Dec. 6 through Dec. 12 to 8.7% for Dec. 13 through Saturday.
— Broward County reported another 838 cases and eight deaths, moving its totals to 127,240 cases and 1,776 deaths. Broward's average daily positive test rate moved up a smidge from 7.21% for Dec. 6 through Dec. 12 to 7.34% from Dec. 13 through Saturday. The positive test rate was 6.90% on Saturday.
— Palm Beach County reported 459 new cases (76,602 for the pandemic), and three deaths (1,819). And the average daily positive test rate stayed nearly the same, 7.21% the last seven days from 7.23% the previous seven days. Saturday's positive rate was 6.56%
— Monroe County reported 14 new cases and one new death. Pandemic totals in the Keys are 4,010 cases and 33 deaths.
Current hospitalizations
Government officials use current hospitalizations to decide the next action in dealing with the pandemic. On the state level, this has been steadily falling over the last month.
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reports the number of patients hospitalized statewide with a "primary diagnosis of COVID." The data, which is updated at least every hour, does not distinguish between the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital intensive care units and those in acute-care beds, which require less attention from nurses.
As of 2:15 p.m. Sunday, the AHCA said there were 5,236 people currently hospitalized, a jump of 150 from 6:16 p.m. Saturday and an increase of almost 600 from a week ago. Compared to Saturday, Miami-Dade was up 10 to 957; Broward was up one to 499; Palm Beach was up 33 to 291; and Monroe was down one to six.
