Kelly Hayes
Hillsborough County brought its positivity rate down to 5.93% on Wednesday, according to Florida Department of Health data released Thursday.
This decline follows the county’s highest single-day positivity rate since early February, which was reported on Monday. The county’s positivity rate on Monday hit 9.25%, notably higher than it has been in the past two weeks and was the closest its gotten to 10% — a marker health professionals define as an indicator of mass community spread — in more than a month.
On Tuesday, the county reported a rate of 8.04%. Now, it seems to gradually be coming back down.
The county also confirmed 347 new cases on Wednesday, bringing its total caseload to 117,040 since the start of the pandemic.
Hillsborough also reported six new deaths and nine additional hospitalizations in the latest report. So far, the county has recorded 1,573 deaths related to COVID-19.
in Pinellas County, the positivity rate has stayed relatively low, dancing around 4%. On Wednesday, Pinellas reported a positivity rate of 3.88%.
Pinellas County confirmed 197 new cases on Wednesday, as well as 14 additional hospitalizations. The county did not see any new deaths in the latest report.
Since the start of the pandemic, Pinellas has reported 69,667 cases of COVID-19 and 1,522 deaths.
Both counties have also administered more than 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Hillsborough County has administered vaccinations to 243,087 individuals, including 122,043 who have completed the vaccine series. On Wednesday alone, the county put shots into 4,638 arms.
Pinellas County has distributed vaccines to 220,398 individuals, 122,294 of whom have finished their series. On Wednesday, the county vaccinated 6,725 individuals.
