Florida COVID update for Tuesday: 5,302 cases, 41 deaths but positivity percentage down
Florida’s Department of Health on Tuesday announced 5,302 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state also announced 41 new deaths — all residents.
Both figures are higher than reported on Sunday and Monday but the positivity percentages were down in Florida, as well as across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties.
The state has recorded a known total of 2,016,513 coronavirus cases and 33,449 total deaths. Among those who died, 32,820 were residents and 629 were nonresidents.
On Tuesday, the state reported the results of 82,077 residents tested on Monday. The state’s percent positivity for first-time testers decreased from 6.69% to 6.47%.
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 Tuesday’s vaccine report. So far, 175,379 people have received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and 2,615,837 have completed the two-dose series of either Pfizer or Moderna.
COVID-19 in South Florida
▪ Miami-Dade County reported 1,259 new cases and 14 deaths, putting its pandemic totals at 436,394 cases and 5,742 deaths.
In Miami-Dade, 324,936 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna, 30,660 have have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and 287,786 people have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna.
Percent positivity decreased from 6.42% to 6.18%.
▪ Broward County added 708 cases and six deaths, moving its totals to 209,170 cases and 2,603 deaths.
In Broward, 202,859 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 15,010 have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and 227,208 have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna.
Percent positivity decreased from 6.95% to 6.54%.
▪ Palm Beach County reported 299 new cases and four deaths, bringing its cumulative count to 128,620 cases and 2,602 deaths.
In Palm Beach County, 133,219 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 11,083 have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and 238,959 people have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna.
Percent positivity decreased from 6.28% to 6.16%.
▪ Monroe County added 20 new cases and no new deaths. Pandemic totals in the Keys are 6,264 cases and 48 deaths.
In the Keys, 8,739 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 390 have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and 10,288 people have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna.
Percent positivity decreased from 10.46% to 5.8%.
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 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, the agency said there were 2,932 people hospitalized. Of these, Miami-Dade had 545; Broward, 461; Palm Beach, 203; and Monroe, five, the agency said.
According to Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard, county hospitals have reported 580 COVID-19 patients, down from 694 on Sunday. There were 61 new patients and 85 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.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Florida COVID update for Tuesday: 5,302 cases, 41 deaths but positivity percentage down."
