Florida crosses 100K coronavirus cases

State health officials have confirmed more than 100,000 coronavirus cases in Florida, hitting a mark Monday that felt distant at the start of the month.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) shows 2,926 new cases since Sunday’s update, with now 100,217 confirmed positive.

Another 12 residents died, lifting the death toll among Floridians to 3,173. Including non-residents, 3,266 people have died in cases tied to the state. And 13,407 people have been hospitalized, an increase of 180.

Cases confirmed last week account for more than a fifth of all cases in the state since officials first confirmed the virus’ presence in early March. Sunday and Monday’s reports marked a downturn in the number of new cases, which topped 4,000 in Saturday’s report.

As the number of confirmed cases has grown this month, so has the percent positivity rate among people who weren’t previously known positives. That rate was at least 10% four days last week, but on Sunday, the rate was down to 7.7%. While a drop from recent days, that rate is still double what it was two weeks ago.

After attributing the growing number of cases to increased testing and spread among migrant farmers and inmates, DeSantis began addressing on Friday the rising positivity rate — particularly among young adults.

“So again, not huge clinical consequences, but in terms of spread and in terms of some of the vulnerable populations eventually seeping in there, certainly a cause for concern,” he told reporters in Tallahassee Saturday.

In recent weeks, health officials have observed a drastic drop in the median age of those testing positive from the 50s to 37. Several of the driving counties of the virus had median ages in the 20s and 30s.

Those cases haven’t resulted in a spike in hospitalizations or fatalities yet. Still, the state’s most populous counties have seen a growing number of weekly hospital visits for flu-like and COVID-like illnesses, another metric used to determine the state’s reopening progress.

Since June 5, Florida has been in Phase Two of three, which includes allowing 100% capacity at retailers and mass gatherings of 50 or less. It also will enable bars and movie theaters to reopen, but some chains like AMC are still not opening locations.

More than 1.6 million people, including 37,169  Sunday, have been tested for the novel coronavirus in Florida. The state and public and private partners have opened testing facilities across the hardest-hit parts of the state that are available to anyone, regardless of age or symptoms, a stark change from the early days of the pandemic.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which have still not entered Phase Two with the rest of the state, are the main hot spots for the virus. But the Tampa Bay and Orlando areas are seeing a resurgence of cases, as is the Jacksonville area.

DOH shows 26,239 cases for Miami-Dade County, 449 more than on Sunday, and Broward County added 172 cases to reach 11,327. In recent days, Palm Beach County has approached Broward with 10,943 overall, with 189 on Monday.

Hillsborough County crossed 5,000 cases Saturday, now with 5,973 after recording 393 new positives. Orange County has 5,157 total cases, with 243 new reports.