South Florida COVID-19 case numbers continue dropping, hit lowest marks since mid-July

Image via AP.

South Florida’s COVID-19 case numbers are continuing on a downward trend, with cases dropping in all three major counties for the second straight week.

The newest weekly report from the Department of Health (DOH) showed at least 20% fewer cases this past week in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County when compared to the week prior. That’s after last week’s report showed cases dropping in all three counties for the first time since May.

Cases are now around levels seen in early- to mid-July. At that time, cases were still on the upswing, leading to the crisis in hospitals that rocked the region and the state this summer. While cases have shown signs of peaking for weeks, hospitalizations around the state are only recently beginning to decline.

South Florida hospitals are still strained, however, with oxygen supplies being sapped due to treatment of COVID-19 patients. But if cases continue declining at the current pace, hospitals should see additional relief in terms of resources in the weeks ahead.

The case positivity rate — which measures the share of tests coming back positive — dropped to 12.6% in Palm Beach County Aug. 27-Sept. 2. That number was 13.9% the week prior.

Broward and Miami-Dade each saw even larger drops. Miami-Dade’s positivity rate dropped by 2.3 points, going from 10.4% to 8.1%. Broward’s number dropped by 2.4 points — from 12.9% to 10.5%.

Palm Beach continues to show the lowest portion of its population vaccinated while still seeing the worst COVID-19 case numbers within the tri-county area. More than 72% of individuals 12 and up have received at least one vaccine dose in all three counties, with Miami-Dade reporting a total of 88%, according to DOH data.

Here are some of the weekly numbers for the previous three weeks throughout the South Florida tri-county area:

Miami-Dade

— Aug. 13-19: 19,906 newly confirmed cases, 12.6% positivity rate, 39,708 vaccine doses administered, 85% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Aug. 20-26: 16,706 newly confirmed cases, 10.4% positivity rate, 32,560 vaccine doses administered, 86% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Aug. 27-Sept. 2: 12,163 newly confirmed cases, 8.1% positivity rate, 28,310 vaccine doses administered, 88% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

Broward

— Aug. 13-19: 13,521 newly confirmed cases, 16.1% positivity rate, 22,598 vaccine doses administered, 76% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Aug. 20-26: 11,664 newly confirmed cases, 12.9% positivity rate, 17,331 vaccine doses administered, 77% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Aug. 27-Sept. 2: 8,949 newly confirmed cases, 10.5% positivity rate, 16,090 vaccine doses administered, 78% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

Palm Beach

— Aug. 13-19: 9,257 newly confirmed cases, 17.9% positivity rate, 13,673 vaccine doses administered, 70% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Aug. 20-26: 8,595 newly confirmed cases, 13.9% positivity rate, 11,792 vaccine doses administered, 71% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Aug. 27-Sept. 2: 6,863 newly confirmed cases, 12.6% positivity rate, 10,919 vaccine doses administered, 72% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated