Jacob Ogles
Florida health officials reported more than 11,500 new COVID-19 infections. The jump in reported positive tests comes as the Department of Health tabulated the greatest number of new test results this month.
Data released Friday shows the total number of positive test results at 1,763,873 since the pandemic surfaced in the state in March. That includes 1,731,931 Florida residents, as well as 31,942 out-of-state visitors who were tested in the Sunshine State.
That’s an increase of 11,543 new cases since Thursday’s report.
But the jump in cases actually came as the statewide positivity rate on Thursday dipped to the lowest level in weeks. There were 15,827 positive test results reported to the state Thursday compared to 207,989 negative ones. That means just 7.07% of results came back with infections. For only new cases for Florida residents, the positivity rate was only 5.8%.
Health officials consider the spread of the virus under control when positivity rates remain below 10%. The rate statewide was higher than that four of the past seven days.
The state also reported another 215 deaths overnight, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related fatalities to 27,913. That includes 27,457 Floridians and 456 individuals from outside Florida claimed by the pandemic while here.
Statewide hospitalizations have reached 73,970.
Meanwhile, the number of vaccinations continues to rise steadily in the state, even if not at the pace desired by officials.
Through midday Friday, a total of 1,894,209 individuals have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Of those, 1,339,707 have received only a first dose. Another 554,502 have already received a booster shot and completed the recommended schedule for the vaccination.
Still, there have been struggles with booking reservations across the state, and networks of volunteers are now working to help patients reserve a time. State officials last week acknowledged 3,344 doses of vaccine spoiled in Southwest Florida because they were not properly kept or used quickly enough.
Editor’s note on methodology: The Florida Department of Health releases new data every morning around 10:45 a.m. The total number reported in those daily reports include the previous day’s totals as well as the most up to date data as of about 9:30 a.m.
Florida Politics uses the report-over-report increase to document the number of new cases each day because it represents the most up-to-date data available. Some of the more specific data, including positivity rates and demographics, considers a different data set that includes only cases reported the previous day.
This is important to note because the DOH report lists different daily totals than our methodology to show day-over-day trends. Their numbers do not include nonresidents who tested positive in the state and they only include single-day data, therefore some data in the DOH report may appear lower than what we report.
Our methodology was established based on careful consideration among our editorial staff to capture both the most recent and accurate trends.
