Kelly Hayes
Hillsborough County confirmed 513 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the latest Florida Department of Health data released Wednesday afternoon.
The new report shows a subtle spike in the county’s daily case numbers, which came in at 335 Monday and 245 on Sunday. It also coincides with a rising positivity rate that may be the first indicators of Super Bowl LV’s impact on the area.
Tuesday’s positivity rate came in at 8.18%, up from the past couple days, which reported rates of 7%. Despite the gradual rise, the county still remains under 10%, the threshold that indicates mass community spread.
The county also saw nine new deaths and four additional hospitalizations in the latest report. Since the start of the pandemic, the county has recorded 107,513 cases of COVID-19, including 1,427 deaths.
Pinellas County also reported a small rise in cases on Tuesday, confirming 301 new cases, despite having numbers in the low 200s and even 100s in the past couple days.
The county also added one new death in the latest report, and 17 additional hospitalizations. The latest report registers the county’s COVID-19 death toll at 1,385 out of the 63,871 cases so far recorded.
Pinellas did see its positivity rate decline on Tuesday, when it was reported at 5.96%. In the past two days, the positivity rate clocked in at 7% and then 8%. The previous spike was significant among the county’s previous week’s average positivity rate, which was typically below 5%.
Both counties are working quickly to vaccinate seniors and health care workers, having each surpassed 100,000 people vaccinated.
Hillsborough County has administered vaccines to 117,411 individuals, 59,236 of whom have received a second dose, according to the state’s latest vaccination data. Pinellas County has vaccinated 112,952 people, including 56,945 who have completed the series.
In other Tampa Bay COVID-19 news, the annual Gasparilla parade and celebrations have been canceled this year due to concerns over spreading the virus. Initially, organizers postponed the parade until April.
