Florida COVID update for Monday: 2,862 cases and 39 deaths
Florida’s Department of Health on Monday announced 2,862 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state also announced 39 new deaths. Of those who died, 37 were residents.
Mondays, like Sundays, usually see lower case numbers and deaths because less data tends to be collected and processed during the weekends.
The state has recorded a known total of 2,011,211 coronavirus cases and 33,408 total deaths. Among those who died, 32,779 were residents and 629 were nonresidents.
On Monday, the state reported the results of 52,893 residents tested on Sunday. The state’s percent positivity for first-time testers increased from 6.22% to 6.69%.
More than 2.7 million Floridians have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to Monday’s vaccine report. So far, 161,308 people have received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and 2,578,959 have completed the two-dose series of either Pfizer or Moderna.
COVID-19 in South Florida
▪ Miami-Dade County reported 783 new cases and three deaths, putting its pandemic totals at 435,135 cases and 5,728 deaths. In Miami-Dade, 321,464 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 308,867 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity decreased from 6.55% to 6.42%.
▪ Broward County added 366 cases and two deaths, moving its totals to 208,462 cases and 2,597 deaths. In Broward, 200,449 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 235,982 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity increased from 6.29% to 6.95%.
▪ Palm Beach County reported 167 new cases and two deaths, bringing its cumulative count to 128,321 cases and 2,598 deaths. In Palm Beach County, 378,724 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 247,379 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity increased from 6.14% to 6.28%.
▪ Monroe County added 16 new cases and no new deaths. Pandemic totals in the Keys are 6,244 cases and 48 deaths. In the Keys, 8,702 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 10,505 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity increased from 3.47% to 10.46%.
Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reports the number of patients hospitalized statewide with a “primary diagnosis of COVID.” The data, which is updated at least every hour, does not distinguish between the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital intensive care units and those in acute-care beds, which require less attention from nurses.
Government officials use current hospitalizations to decide the next steps in fighting the pandemic.
As of 3:19 p.m. Monday, the agency said there were 2,896 people hospitalized. Of these, Miami-Dade had 556; Broward, 465; Palm Beach, 200; and Monroe, four, the agency said.
According to Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard, county hospitals have reported 594 COVID-19 patients, down from 604 on Sunday. There were 62 new patients and 69 were discharged.
State hospitalization data doesn’t always match Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard data for various reasons, including the frequency of daily updates.
Miami Herald staff writer Carli Teproff contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Florida COVID update for Monday: 2,862 cases and 39 deaths."
