MIAMI — Florida on Thursday reported 21,723 more COVID-19 cases and 1,338 additional deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Miami Herald calculations of CDC data.
All but 38 of the newly reported deaths, about 97%, occurred after Aug. 5, according to the Herald analysis. About 70% of the newly reported died in the past two weeks, the analysis showed. The majority of deaths happened during Florida’s latest surge in COVID-19 cases, fueled by the delta variant.
In the past seven days, on average, the state has added 325 deaths and 22,308 cases each day, according to Herald calculations of CDC data. This is a record high.
The jump in the number of reported cases and deaths is due to the newest way deaths and cases are counted. The CDC implemented the change earlier this month, causing occasional one-day aberrations like the 902 additional deaths on Monday and 901 more deaths reported Aug. 26.
In all, Florida has recorded at least 3,291,225 confirmed COVID cases statewide and 45,909 deaths.
The Herald publishes the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after each update by the agency.
On Aug. 10, the Florida Department of Health changed the way it reported new cases and deaths to the CDC. Cases and deaths used to be logged as total new cases reported on a single day. Now, Florida is reporting cases by the “case date,” according to the CDC, rather than the date the case was logged into the system. The result of this change is a lag in cases by date and a number of cases back-filling over time.
The Herald will continue to report the difference in total cases and deaths from one day to the next in stories about daily new cases and deaths, as this is consistent with the way data have been presented in daily stories since the beginning of the pandemic.
There were 14,949 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida on Thursday, according to data reported to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services from 255 Florida hospitals. That is 228 fewer patients than Wednesday’s COVID patient population.
COVID-19 patients accounted for 25.89% of all hospital patients.
Of the hospitalized in Florida, 3,340 people were in intensive care unit beds, a decrease of 25. That represents 50.22% of the state’s ICU hospital beds from 255 hospitals reporting data.
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