Staff Reports
More than 5,000 Floridians have been hospitalized throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest report from state health officials.
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed 53 new hospitalizations in its Monday report, raising the total count of Floridians hospitalized with the novel coronavirus to 5,010. And with 610 new cases and 14 fatalities, the state’s caseload reached 32,138 while the death toll is 1,088.
Three in five of the state’s COVID-19 cases are concentrated in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which have been ongoing hot spots for the virus during the outbreak. And South Florida represents a growing share of confirmed cases as the influx of new cases in other urban areas slows to a trickle.
In Miami-Dade, DOH reported 11,570 cases and 302 deaths, an increase from 11,351 and 301 respectively. In Broward, the state has confirmed 4,794 cases, up from 4,729, and 174 deaths, an increase of four over Sunday. And in Palm Beach, 2,763 people have tested positive, an increase from 2,697, and an additional Floridians died, pushing the death toll there to 156.
Outside of South Florida, Orange and Hillsborough counties are the only two counties with more than 1,000 cases, 1,339 and 1,062 respectively. Duval and Lee counties are approaching that count with 990 in Duval and 971 in Lee.
Over the weekend, state health officials scaled back from two daily coronavirus reports to one snapshot taken around 10 a.m. daily.
On Sunday, 532 Floridians tested positive for the first time, the fewest in at least two weeks. But testing was also down to 10,261, the third-fewest in that time period. Still, among people who have never tested positive, the percentage of new cases has been trending down from 10% two weeks ago, 6% Sunday after reaching 4% the day before.
In longterm care facilities, 319 residents and staff have died, an increase of eight since Sunday. State health officials stopped including the total number of confirmed cases among residents and staff in its reports Monday. On Sunday, there were 2,934 case in those facilities.
