Kelly Hayes
Hillsborough County confirmed 600 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend — 356 on Saturday and 244 on Sunday, according to Florida Department of Health data released Monday.
The weekend numbers show a decline throughout the week, which appeared to peak on Wednesday with 525 new cases. Since the start of the pandemic, Hillsborough has recorded 106,661 cases of COVID-19, including 1,402 deaths.
Since the last report, Hillsborough has reported five new deaths related to the virus, and three additional hospitalizations.
Despite the decline in cases over the weekend, the county did report a rising positivity rate — 7.8% on Saturday, then 7.95% on Sunday. These numbers are up from last week’s average around 6%. A positivity rate of 10% indicates mass community spread. It should also be noted that only 2,825 individuals tested on Sunday, in a county that usually sees 4,000-6,000 tests per day.
As the week progresses, Hillsborough County will see how Super Bowl LV activities have impacted the spread of COVID-19. So far, the positivity rate has stood as the only indicator for potential increased spread.
More concerns grew following last Wednesday’s Super Bowl victory boat parade to celebrate the Buccaneers’ win.
Images and videos of the parade show large crowds with few individuals masked, and most not, despite Mayor Jane Castor emphasizing that people attending the parade must wear masks and observe social distancing rules.
Over in Pinellas County, cases are down. The county reported only 308 cases over the weekend, divided between 150 on Saturday and 158 on Sunday.
Overall, the county has confirmed 63,326 cases of COVID-19. In the latest report, one additional death was reported along with eight new hospitalizations. Since the start of the pandemic, 1,372 people have died in relation to COVID-19 in the county.
As far as the county’s positivity rate, it saw a bit of a spike on Sunday, where it reported a rate of 7.14%. Before that, the county had maintained a rate at or below 5% throughout the week.
The good news: both counties have vaccinated 100,000 people each, according to the state’s latest vaccination report.
Hillsborough has vaccinated 112,786 individuals, including 56,845 who have received their second dose. Pinellas has vaccinated 106,704, of whom 51,299 have completed the series.
