Florida COVID update: 15,322 new cases. State numbers and CDC figures still at odds
After Florida’s health department disputed three days’ worth of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the CDC says the state saw 15,322 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. Even after correcting the record, CDC weekend numbers still do not match state figures.
Florida, which makes up about 6.5% of the U.S. population, accounted for 16.5% of the country’s new cases on Monday, based on data the state is reporting to the CDC. The state’s seven-day moving average of new cases was 20,058, as of Aug. 9, up from a moving average of 2,478 on July 5, a 709% increase, stemming from the highly contagious delta variant.
On Tuesday, the state also reported 16 new deaths.
As for the dispute, the CDC on Monday afternoon released COVID-19 data for the weekend that showed Florida shattering its single-day case record. On Monday night, the Florida Department of Health called foul on those numbers.
“The number of cases @CDCgov released for Florida today is incorrect,” the department said on Twitter. “They combined MULTIPLE days into one. We anticipate CDC will correct the record.”
The state says the correct numbers of new cases are as follows: Aug. 6, 21,500; Aug. 7, 19,567; Aug. 8: 15,319.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC hadn’t responded to multiple Miami Herald queries, but the agency did correct its case totals from Aug. 6 to Aug. 8. However, these new figures still do not match Florida’s figures.
The CDC says the correct numbers of new cases are: Aug. 6, 23,958; Aug. 7, 21,487; Aug. 8, 19,584.
Using the CDC’s figures, Friday’s case number would be Florida’s new single-day case record.
This isn’t the only change the CDC made. Nearly all daily case totals the CDC has logged since Jan. 22, 2020, have been changed. Florida’s cumulative case total also lowered from 2,783,327 to 2,782,060, partly due to the incorrect totals reported Monday.
Wessam Koury, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel these case changes reflect adjustments based on accounts of when cases or deaths occurred rather than when they were reported to the state.
“We took this opportunity to ensure the data is as accurate as it can be,” Koury said. “We provided them a new data set based on our quality checks.”
Cumulatively, Florida has recorded at least 2,782,060 confirmed COVID cases statewide and 40,167 deaths, according to the CDC.
From July 30 to Aug. 5, Florida reported 134,506 cases, and 175 deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health’s weekly report released on Fridays. There were 24,086 more cases this week than last week, a 21% jump, and the percent positivity increased to 18.9% from 18.4% last week, the report said. High positivity rates indicate community spread.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida
There were 15,169 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida — breaking the state’s current hospitalization record for the 10th consecutive day, according to data reported to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services from 231 Florida hospitals. COVID-19 patients accounted for 27.62% of all hospital patients on Tuesday.
This figure represents an increase of 1,192 from Monday’s report from fewer reporting hospitals — 231 rather than the 251 that reported to HHS the previous day. The average number of COVID-19 patients per hospital soared from 55.7 to 65.7.
Of that 15,169, HHS reports 3,050 people are in intensive care, representing 47.2% of the state’s ICU hospital beds, from 237 hospitals reporting. There are 73,300 beds in use for COVID-19 in the U.S., meaning Florida accounts for 20.7% of the nation’s COVID hospital patients. The state has 17.9% of the country’s 17,140 COVID patients in ICU beds.
All of these numbers have been steadily rising.
COVID-19 vaccine rates in Florida
As of the Saturday report, 10,684,883 eligible Floridians — 49.7% of the state’s population — have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to the CDC.
A much higher number of Floridians have received at least one dose of the vaccine — about 60% of the state’s population, or 12,892,048.
COVID-19 VACCINES IN SOUTH FLORIDA
The CDC reports that every county’s level of community transmission is high.
▪ In Miami-Dade County, 2,108,191, or 77.6% of the county’s total population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. Only 1,699,084 people are fully vaccinated, or 62.5% of the county’s total population.
In Dade, 89.7% of the population 12 years old and over, 91.9% of people 18 and older, and 99.9% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
▪ In Broward County, 1,273,156 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 65.2% of the total population, according to the CDC. Only 1,027,910 people are fully vaccinated, or 52.6% of the county’s total population.
In the county, 75.6% of the population 12 years old and over, 77.6% of those 18 and older, and 96.1% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
▪ In Palm Beach County, 903,040 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 60.3% of the total population, according to the CDC. Only 767,256 people are fully vaccinated, or 51.3% of the county’s total population.
In the county, 68.8% of people 12 years old and over, 70.9% of people 18 and older, and 89.4% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
▪ In Monroe County, 53,833 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 72.5% of the total population, according to the CDC. Only 44,510 people are fully vaccinated, or 60% of the county’s total population.
In Monroe, 80.9% of people 12 years old and over, 83.2% of people 18 and older, and 99.9% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
▪ In Manatee County, 225,353 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 55.9% of the total population, according to the CDC. Only 189,780 people are fully vaccinated, or 47.1% of the county’s total population.
In the county, 63.2% of people 12 years old and over, 65.6% of people 18 and older, and 87.5% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Miami Herald reporter David J. Neal contributed to this story.
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 5:54 PM.
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