Scott Powers
The numbers of new cases for COVID-19 took dramatic twists Tuesday for Central Florida counties — some exploding upward, some actually falling precipitously — in the latest data released by the Florida Department of Health.
Orange County’s total caseload for the past nine months actually was decreased by 1,750 cases in Tuesday’s report from the Department of Health, compared with Monday’s report. Other counties across Central Florida saw terrifying higher numbers of cases in the new report.
Seminole County, for example, was reported to have seen a 686-case increase Tuesday. As a one-day jump that would be nearly three times worse than any day Seminole has ever seen.
Overall, greater Orlando saw an increase of only 107 cases in Tuesday’s report over Monday’s. The region, which also includes Osceola, Lake, Brevard, and Volusia counties, has been averaging more than 1,000 new cases per day since mid-November.
Is the state reclassifying the county of residence for people with COVID-19 throughout Central Florida? Are the numbers being corrected due to some dramatic new findings? Or was there some sort of glitch that caused faulty numbers to be reported Tuesday?
There was no immediate explanation from authorities. A Florida Department of Health spokesperson said he would look into it with officials there. An Orange County spokesperson said county health officials also were asking the state for an explanation but had not yet received one by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Similar odd tally swings were seen in the numbers that the state is reporting for Central Florida counties’ hospital admissions and for COVID-19 fatalities in the latest Florida Department of Health COVID-19 report.
Orange County’s cumulative COVID-19 caseload from the start of the pandemic in March was reported at 60,291. The day before, Orange’s caseload was reported as 62,041, a number that was consistent with those reported in all preceding days of the pandemic.
Seminole County’s caseload climbed by 686 cases in Tuesday’s report, topping the previous one-day increase of 237 cases seen on July 13. That came at the height of the summer outbreak that remains the worst time for Central Florida.
Similar though less dramatic increases were seen elsewhere. Osceola’s caseload was increased by 468 in Tuesday’s report; Brevard’s by 258; Lake’s by 223; and Volusia’s by 222. For Brevard and Lake, those totals would be one-day worsts. Osceola and Volusia each had one day in mid-July that was worse.
Tuesday’s state report gives a fairly-normal total for new hospital admissions across Central Florida, 22, which is well within the range of hospitalization tallies seen over the past couple of weeks. However, Tuesday’s regional total breaks down to 19 new hospital admissions each in Osceola and Seminole counties, 14 in Brevard, 11 in Volusia, and 1o in Lake, while Orange County saw its cumulative total of hospital admissions since March reduced by 51 patients in Tuesday’s report.
A similar dynamic was seen in the state’s tallies of people who have died of COVID-19 in Central Florida. Six new deaths were reported in Volusia, five each in Brevard and Osceola, and one each in Lake and Volusia. Orange County’s cumulative death toll since March was reduced by 16.
