FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The coronavirus surge in Florida continues with another record-breaking day of new cases reported on Monday.
Florida’s daily case count reported Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 28,317 new cases for Sunday and 28,316 for Saturday, both significantly higher than the record-breaking case count of 23,908 reported Friday.
As cases rise, so does the death toll from the disease that has taken nearly 39,700 lives in the state. Another 232 people died from COVID-19 in the last two days.
The Florida Department of Health disputed the numbers provided by the CDC, tweeting late Monday that the “number of cases @CDCgov released for Florida today is incorrect. They combined MULTIPLE days into one. We anticipate CDC will correct the record.”
More than an hour later, the state health department tweeted different numbers: “The daily case counts for Florida currently posted on the CDC COVID Tracker are incorrect. The current listing states 28,317. The accurate data are as follows:
“Friday, August 6: 21,500
“Saturday August 7: 19,567
“Sunday, August 8: 15,319
“The 3 day average: 18,795.”
Hospitals continue to experience the impact of the newest pandemic wave. As of Monday, nearly 14,000 patients were in Florida hospitals with COVID, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services data. Of those, 2,836 people are in intensive care with COVID. Not all hospitals in the state are reporting their COVID case counts.
Broward County’s hospitals had the most admissions — 1,600 — of any county in the United States, as of Aug. 6. Because of the volume of patients, Memorial Healthcare System has gone to black status — restricting all visitors.
At a round table last week with CEOs of Florida hospitals, some wondered aloud whether the state had reached its peak in the current wave, with a consensus that the next two weeks would be critical in determining that answer.
Carlos Migoya, CEO of Jackson Health, said he believes the death rate from the virus will be lower than last summer with more seniors vaccinated, however, “we don’t know if it’s a matter of where we are in this stage of the peak.”
As of Friday, the Florida Department of Health reports 63% of people eligible are vaccinated with at least one dose. Hospital leaders pleaded for more people to get vaccinated. “Vaccinations absolutely have made a difference,” said Dr. George Ralls, chief medical officer with Orlando Health.
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