Renzo Downey
The Florida Hospitalization Association is reporting a new high in active hospitalizations for COVID-19 with 16,721 people hospitalized in the state.
Wednesday’s update shows a net increase of 200 hospitalizations over the day before. It also shows the state with nearly two-third more hospitalizations than during the previous peak in July 2020.
Florida hospitals admitted another 2,695 COVID-19 patients Tuesday.
Nearly 36% of all patients in hospitals have the disease. Additionally, 55% of those in ICUs have the virus.
The FHA also showed 23,335 new cases in the Sunshine State Tuesday.
As of Friday’s report from the Florida Department of Health, 12.4 million Floridians had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. That’s 65% of the eligible population, 12 years old and older, and 57% of the state’s total population.
More than 270,000 Floridians received a shot in the week leading up to Friday as more people seek protection against the resurgent pandemic. Florida leads the Southeast in vaccination rates but still trails Democratic-leaning states on the West Coast and in the Northeast.
For several weeks now, Florida has led the nation in new COVID-19 cases, and those numbers have continued to climb.
Florida also recorded 57 COVID-19 hospitalizations among children Tuesday, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The delta variant has appeared to hit children harder, in part because children under 12 are not eligible for the vaccine.
Earlier this month, FHA President Mary Mayhew went on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, where she called the rising number of younger patients a crisis. Mayhew, former Secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration under Gov. Ron DeSantis, did not offer any political criticism, even when baited by Morning Joe cohost Mika Brzezinski.
DeSantis has spent much of this month promoting monoclonal antibodies as a treatment for COVID-19 infection to prevent hospitalization in people who are at high risk for severe infections. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved it as an early treatment that can be used even before someone tests positive, if they have been exposed to the virus.
The DeSantis administration has also adamantly opposed mask requirements in schools. The Chair of the State Board of Education on Tuesday floated the possibility of removing school board members who violate the state’s rules banning mask mandates.
ℹ Florida COVID-19 Update for August 18, 2021
🚨 Total Confirmed New Cases:
Tuesday 8/17: 23,335 pic.twitter.com/hNaMj1ZrdM— Florida Hospital Association (@FLHospitalAssn) August 18, 2021
7 comments
PeterH
August 18, 2021 at 4:42 pm
NEWS ALERT FROM THE LINCOLN PROJECT
Turns out, Ron DeSantis’ whole “my freedoms” shtick was a con. Of course it was. The whole reason he’s been so anti-mask and vaccine mandates?
DeSantis has gotten over $10m in campaign funds from the biggest investor in Regeneron, a COVID treatment.
DeSantis knows he’s got to win his primary next year to have any shot at running for President. So he’s going full MAGA and getting people sick.
When people get sick, Regeneron makes more money.
When Regeneron makes more money, Ron DeSantis raises more campaign money.
Rinse and repeat.
Kevin
August 20, 2021 at 8:51 am
Fu k Dastankas he’s should be charged for murder if schools can make kids wear uniforms they should be able to pass mask mandate .
John
August 19, 2021 at 7:46 am
Ron DeSantis is a death dealer who NEEDS to be removed from office now while we still have breath in our body’s. His agenda is power not support. When have we become so blind to allow our friends and loved ones be subjected to this kind of dictatorship.
MD
August 20, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Desantis is giving people a CHOICE and Regeneron has been proven to help. Where’s the problem? He did not say NO to anything. Doesn’t sound much like a dictator but you think what you’d like.
PeterH
August 20, 2021 at 4:25 pm
THE REPUBLICAN GRIFT IS ON
DeSantis has gotten over $10m in campaign funds from the biggest investor in Regeneron, a COVID treatment.
DeSantis knows he’s got to win his primary next year to have any shot at running for President. So he’s going full MAGA and getting people sick.
When people get sick, Regeneron makes more money.
When Regeneron makes more money, Ron DeSantis raises more campaign money.
Rinse and repeat.
Sal
August 27, 2021 at 4:37 pm
Florida has always been a state where Governors are elected by older people simply because 80 percent of younger people ignore state elections .
Truth is MOST Democrats in Florida ignore state elections .
Sal
August 27, 2021 at 4:41 pm
MD ,
Disagree , DeSantis is a control freak ,sociopath who is in reality everything he claims to condemn.
He doesn’t even believe in private business and goes after private schools who want masks .
” Norwegian Cruise wins lawsuit against Florida over Covid-19 vaccine passport ban”
Florida’s showdown over businesses being able to require customers to show proof of a Covid-19 vaccine has ended in a legal loss.
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