Florida COVID update: Hospitalizations drop for first time in 2 weeks as ICU usage rises
After breaking a pandemic record with nearly 26,000 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, Florida had some good news to share on Sunday: the number of hospitalizations due to the virus fell for the first time in two weeks.
Florida reported 15,985 COVID-19 patients on Sunday compared with 16,100 current hospitalizations the day before, the 14th consecutive increase, according to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services data. One fewer hospital reported data, so the average COVID-19 patients per hospital inched lower to 62.2 from 62.4.
But a negative trend continued, with the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units rising. Those patients now account for over half of the state’s ICU bed usage, reaching 50.1% on Sunday.
As of 8 p.m. on Sunday, the CDC hadn’t reported Saturday’s new COVID case totals for Florida. On Saturday, the state reported 27 new deaths. Florida — which makes up about 6.5% of the U.S. population — accounted for 18.5% of the country’s new cases on Friday based on data the state is reporting to the CDC.
COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS IN FLORIDA AND MIAMI-DADE
Current hospitalizations in Florida moved down a couple of ladder rungs after 14 consecutive days of climbing to record highs, according to Sunday morning’s report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Florida had 115 fewer COVID patients, leaving it at 15,985.
Of that number, 3,336 people were in intensive care beds, representing 50.1% of the state’s ICU hospital beds from 257 hospitals reporting data.
Sunday’s Miami-Dade County report said there were 1,539 COVID patients in the county’s hospitals on Saturday, 54 fewer than the previous day’s report. Of the 188 new COVID patients, 162 (86.2%) had not been vaccinated.
There were 25 children in Nicklaus Children’s Hospital near South Miami being treated for COVID. Of those 25, six children were in the ICU.
COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN FLORIDA
As of the CDC’s Sunday report, 10,813,286 Floridians have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine. That means about 50.3% of Florida’s total population is fully vaccinated, 28th among U.S. states and territories.
SOUTH FLORIDA
▪ In Miami-Dade County, 1,723,319 people, 63.4% of the county’s total population, are fully vaccinated according to the CDC.
▪ In Broward County, 1,042,966 people are fully vaccinated, or 53.4% of the county’s total population.
▪ In Palm Beach County, 774,632 people are fully vaccinated, or 51.8% of the county’s total population.
▪ In Monroe County, 44,855 people are fully vaccinated, or 60.4% of the county’s total population.
▪ In Manatee County, 191.385 people are fully vaccinated, or 47.5% of the county’s total population.
This story was originally published August 15, 2021 at 8:21 PM.
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