Scott Powers
Positive test rates for COVID-19 soared in state reports released Tuesday with some counties in Central Florida recording the worst rates they’ve ever seen, perhaps due at least in part to a dramatic drop in COVID-19 tests taken around the Christmas holiday.
The positive test rate for the virus statewide more than doubled Monday, to 22.8%. That dramatic increase was mirrored in most of greater Orlando, based on the batch of test results returned Monday, according to Tuesday’s daily pandemic report from the Florida Department of Health.
In Lake County, 28.5% of all the test results returned Monday came back positive for the virus. Other Central Florida counties were only as low as the 15.4% rate reported in Volusia County, still a high not seen in several months in that county.
In Brevard County the positive test rate for Monday’s batch of test results was 16.6%; in Orange County, 18.9%; in Osceola County, 20.2%; and in Seminole County, 26.5%.
The region’s overall positive test rate for Monday’s batch was 19%, the highest ever recorded for the six counties combined. The Central Florida composite rate was up from 10.7% calculated for Sunday’s batch and 8.5% for Saturday’s batch.
State health authorities told the Sun Sentinel of South Florida Tuesday that the dramatic increases in positive tests “should be interpreted with caution,” because so many testing facilities — from doctors’ offices to community testing sites — were closed or had reduced hours around Christmas. Smaller pools of results tend to have high concentrations of results from people most motivated to get tested, including many who have symptoms and believe they are infected.
Indeed, the 6,984 total of test results returned for the six counties of Central Florida represented an unusually small batch, slightly smaller than what was returned from Thanksgiving, and comparable to what was seen in mid-summer or earlier, before testing really ramped up.
It was during those times, June and early July, when many counties saw their highest positive test rates, or at least their highest rates before now.
Osceola’s highest one-day positive test rate, 22.8%, was reported on June 26. Volusia’s highest rate to date, 17.5%, was reported on July 7. Seminole County’s previous highest positive test rate was 18.8%, recorded on June 18. Orange County’s previous worst was 17.9%, seen June 19. On the other hand, Lake’s previous worst was 13.3%, recorded Sunday. Brevard’s previous worst was 14%, recorded on Nov. 13.
Other fresh data released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Health reinforced concern that health officials might feel about the recent high test rates.
Central Floria’s six counties combined for 1,625 newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Tuesday’s report, despite the low total of new tests that revealed many of those cases. That total resumes the tallies of more than 1,500 per day that had been consistent for nearly two weeks prior to Christmas.
In Orange County, 582 new cases were confirmed in Tuesday’s report; in Volusia, 350; in Seminole, 197; in Osceola, 172; in Brevard, 167; and in Lake, 157.
The state reported 44 new hospital admissions due to COVID-19 across Central Florida. That included 12 each in Orange and Brevard, and eight in Volusia.
The state also reported the deaths of seven more people in Central Florida have been attributed to COVID-19, including three in Volusia and two in Osceola.
