Jacob Ogles
Florida saw nearly 11,000 new cases of coronavirus infections reported overnight.
The Department of Health in its latest report showed 1,698,570 COVID-19 infections had been reported to the state as of Friday morning. That’s an increase of 10,976 since Thursday’s report. That includes 1,667,442 Florida residents, as well as 31,128 who live elsewhere but tested positive in Florida.
There have also been 26,685 deaths reported since the pandemic surfaced here in March, an increase of 229 in the state database since Thursday. The total includes 26,254 Florida residents, as well as 431 out-of-state visitors who died while here.
While the state on Wednesday saw positivity rates drop below 10% for the second time in a week, the numbers jumped back up again. Over the course of Thursday, the state reported 16,698 new positive test results and just 74,841 negatives. That makes for a positivity rate of 18.24%, the highest percent positive rate since Dec. 28. But it’s also the first time since Jan. 3 that less than 100,000 new test results were input into the state figures.
The percent positive rate among new cases among only Florida residents was 14.46%, again the highest rate since Dec. 28.
A report on vaccines administered through mid-day Friday shows more than 1.6 million people in Florida have now received at least one shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
That includes 1,332,746 who have been administered only a first shot, and 273,249 who have also been inoculated with a booster.
Meanwhile, Florida on Friday launched an online portal to alert individuals when appointments are available at state-supported sites. That came after complaints the state’s largely decentralized rollout made it challenging for residents to secure vaccinations.
The database of cases also now includes a number of Florida lawmakers who tested positive in recent days, including Sens. Gary Farmer and Loranne Ausley and Rep. Jason Shoaf.
