MIAMI — Florida reported a record 22,783 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, its highest single-day case count since the pandemic began last year as the state continues record-breaking hospitalizations for the fifth consecutive day.
The number of cases for Thursday reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was 1,100 more than Florida’s single-day case count record. Last Saturday, July 31, Florida reported a then-record of 21,683 new COVID cases for the previous day.
Florida, which makes up about 6.5% of the U.S. population, accounted for nearly 19% of the country’s new cases on Thursday, based on data the state is reporting to the CDC. The state’s seven-day average of new cases was 18,933, as of Aug. 5, up from a seven-day average of 2,478 on July 5, a 664% increase, stemming from the highly contagious delta variant.
The state also reported 199 new deaths.
From July 30 to Aug. 5, Florida reported 134,506 cases, and 175 deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health’s weekly report released on Fridays. There were 24,086 more cases this week than last week, a 21% jump, the report shows.
Last week, there were 110,724 cases in a week and 409 deaths.
The percent positivity also increased this week to 18.9% from 18.4% last week. High posititivy rates indicate community spread.
The state’s surge of new cases and hospitalizations has pushed some Florida hospitals, including Memorial Healthcare System in South Broward, to temporarily pause elective surgeries to conserve staff and make room for infected patients.
Meanwhile, more testing sites are popping up in both Miami-Dade and Broward. And Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that beginning the week of Aug. 16, her administration will require weekly COVID testing of Miami-Dade County’s approximately 29,000 employees. Those who wish to opt out can show proof of vaccination.
There were 13,427 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida, breaking the state’s hospitalization record for the fifth day in a row, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services as of 1:15 p.m. EDT Friday. A total of 254 out of 260 hospitals reported.
About 2,680 people were in intensive care, a little over 42% of the state’s ICU hospital beds from 260 hospitals reporting. That percentage has been climbing with more hospitalizations.
In Miami-Dade County, COVID hospitalizations are not at 2020 summer levels yet, but are inching closer. On Thursday, there were 1,655 patients with COVID in 25 of 30 hospitals reporting their data to the county, which has mandated that local hospitals report COVID cases to county officials. Of the 1,655 patients, 298 were in the Intensive Care Units at the hospitals.
There were 223 new COVID patients as of Thursday, 197 of whom were not vaccinated, or 88%, according to the Miami-Dade dashboard. There were 149 patients discharged Thursday.
The number of Florida children hospitalized with COVID-19 continues to rise. A Miami Herald analysis of weekly case data showed that the number of children under 12 admitted into hospitals has seen the sharpest increase over the past month.
More Florida children were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Tuesday than in any other state in the country.
January was the worst month of the Florida pandemic, with daily case counts routinely topping 10,000. That followed a surge in July 2020, when daily case counts and hospitalizations also topped 10,000. Hospitalizations were higher in July 2020 over January because there was no vaccine yet. The latter half of July 2021 and early August is Florida’s third COVID-19 surge.
Cumulatively, Florida has recorded at least 2,701,547 confirmed COVID cases statewide and 39,602 deaths, according to the CDC.
As of the Friday report, 10,588,327 eligible Floridians have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine. About 49.3% of Florida’s total population is fully vaccinated, according to federal data.
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