Florida COVID update for Monday: 1,976 cases added, lowest in more than a month
Florida’s Department of Health on Monday announced 1,976 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 — the lowest count recorded since last month. The state also announced 59 new deaths. Of those who died, 58 were residents.
Monday’s case count is the lowest reported since April 12, when 1,613 cases were added. Mondays, like Sundays, usually have a lower case count because less data is processed during the weekend.
On Monday, the state reported the results of 53,329 residents tested the day prior, the lowest reported since April 11. The state’s percent positivity increased from 4.35% to 4.42%.
The state has recorded a known total of 2,293,980 coronavirus cases and 36,857 deaths. Among those who died, 36,133 were residents and 724 were nonresidents.
More than 7.5 million Floridians have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to Monday’s vaccine report.
COVID-19 in Florida
▪ Miami-Dade County reported 464 new cases and 15 deaths, putting its pandemic totals at 495,367 cases and 6,319 deaths. In Miami-Dade, 338,007 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 1,054,688 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 3.63% to 3.76%.
▪ Broward County reported 185 new cases and one death, putting its pandemic totals at 242,199 cases and 3,012 deaths. In Broward, 209,331 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 703,402 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 3.14% to 3.38%.
▪ Palm Beach County reported 118 new cases and 10 deaths, bringing its cumulative count to 146,833 cases and 2,826 deaths. In Palm Beach County, 142,412 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 559,802 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 4.07% to 4.04%.
▪ Monroe County added no new cases and no deaths. Pandemic totals in the Keys are at 7,038 cases and 49 deaths. In the Keys, 10,264 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 29,767 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 2.56% to 1.45%.
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 2:46 p.m. Monday, the agency said there were 2,443 people hospitalized. Of these, Miami-Dade had 438; Broward, 314; Palm Beach, 143; and Monroe, 2, the agency said.
According to Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard, county hospitals have reported 480 COVID-19 patients, up from 447 on Sunday. There were 59 new patients and 34 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 May 17, 2021 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Florida COVID update for Monday: 1,976 cases added, lowest in more than a month."
