FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Florida health officials on Wednesday reported 10,181 new COVID-19 cases, putting the state over 300,000 infections since the start of the pandemic.
The latest report is not close to the record of 15,300 cases reached Sunday, but it's still more than Tuesday's list of 9,194 new cases.
Deaths from COVID-19 complications also remain something to watch, as the latest report added 112 fatalities. It's only the third time Florida has added more than 100 deaths to its daily log.
Florida's Department of Health on Wednesday said 4,626 people have died in the state since the crisis started.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday the state is at a "critical juncture" in its coronavirus battle. Meanwhile, some leaders in South Florida warned that "very dramatic measures" are coming if the disease keeps spreading and claiming more lives over the next one to four weeks.
SOUTH FLORIDA
South Florida, which accounts for 29% of Florida's population, reported 4,362 new cases in the past day, or 42.8% of the total.
Broward County: 1,339 new coronavirus cases reported Wednesday, bringing the total to 34,153. A total of 487 people have died, with no more deaths reported since Sunday.
Palm Beach County: 509 new cases were reported, bringing the total to 22,788. A total of 648 people have died, 10 more since Tuesday.
Miami-Dade County: 2,514 new cases, bringing the total to 72,317. A total of 1,217 people have died. That's 27 more than Tuesday.
TESTING AND THE POSITIVITY RATE
Since the pandemic began, 301,810 people have tested positive for the virus in Florida. So far, 2.74 million people have been tested.
The positivity rate for the 24-hour period is 13.6%,down from Tuesday's 15%. This is a key figure to indicate the prevalence of the disease. In May, Florida's positivity rate hovered around 5% for COVID-19 testing.
The daily positive test rate in Wednesday's report was 14.8% for Broward County, 20% for Miami-Dade and 10.8% for Palm Beach.
Public health experts say a positivity rate of 10% or less is optimal. The World Health Organization has recommended a positivity rate of 5% before countries start to reopen
DEATHS
Statewide: The official COVID-19 death total for Florida stood at 4,626 on Wednesday. That figure includes 105 non-residents.
Senior care: At least 2,198 of the state's deaths have occurred in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, a figure that represents 47.5% of the state's total for coronavirus deaths. Broward accounted for 169 deaths or 7.7% of the long-term care facility deaths. Miami-Dade accounted for 563 deaths, or 25.6%, and Palm Beach County had 264 deaths, or 12%.
