South Florida COVID-19 positivity rates still dropping, now at lowest levels since June

COVID-19 cases are continuing to fall across South Florida’s tri-county area, with case positivity rates in all three counties reaching their lowest levels since June.

The case positivity rate — which measures the share of tests coming back positive — has dropped for seven consecutive weeks in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. That metric has now fallen for eight straight weeks in Broward, showing a consistent trend that cases are on the downswing.

The weekly positivity rates in Broward and Palm Beach counties — 4.3% and 5%, respectively — are at their lowest levels since the final week of June. Miami-Dade’s case positivity rate sat at just 2.9% from Oct. 1-7. That’s the lowest figure since the second-to-last week of June.

Raw case totals fell by between 24% and 28% in all three major South Florida counties week-to-week. Over the past six weeks, raw case totals have fallen week-to-week by an average of 20% in Miami-Dade, 22.5% in Broward and 23% in Palm Beach.

The number of vaccine doses actually increased week-to-week in Miami-Dade and Broward. That’s the first time that’s happened in either county since late July. It’s unclear, however, what share of those doses were for newly-vaccinated individuals and what share were used for third-dose booster shots on vulnerable South Floridians.

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

Miami-Dade

— Sept. 17-23: 8,556 newly confirmed cases, 5.3% positivity rate, 16,813 vaccine doses administered, 91% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Sept. 24-30: 5,027 newly confirmed cases, 3.7% positivity rate, 13,138 vaccine doses administered, 91% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Oct. 1-7: 3,816 newly confirmed cases, 2.9% positivity rate, 15,191 vaccine doses administered, 92% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

Broward

— Sept. 17-23: 4,349 newly confirmed cases, 6.6% positivity rate, 9,594 vaccine doses administered, 80% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Sept. 24-30: 3,462 newly confirmed cases, 5.5% positivity rate, 7,363 vaccine doses administered, 81% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Oct. 1-7: 2,526 newly confirmed cases, 4.3% positivity rate, 7,636 vaccine doses administered, 82% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

Palm Beach

— Sept. 17-23: 2,921 newly confirmed cases, 7.5% positivity rate, 6,067 vaccine doses administered, 74% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Sept. 24-30: 2,416 newly confirmed cases, 6.5% positivity rate, 4,699 vaccine doses administered, 74% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated

— Oct. 1-7: 1,744 newly confirmed cases, 5% positivity rate, 4,534 vaccine doses administered, 74% of 12-and-up population now vaccinated