Florida COVID weekly update: New omicron variants more dominant, ICU patients increase
What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?
In the past seven days, the state has added 10,789 cases and 49 deaths per day, on average, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the CDC.
Over the past three weeks, on average, 33 more cases were logged each day in Florida, showing an increase in trends.
As of Tuesday, June 21, more than 14,507,397 people are fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 6,383,059 cases and 75,297 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020.
The number of cases is likely an undercount due to positive results from at-home COVID testing. The state also only tracks resident cases and deaths, excluding nonresidents.
Here’s a breakdown of what to know this week:
Tracking COVID variants
The two new omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are spreading throughout the United States. They were first detected in South Africa earlier this year.
From June 13-18, the BA.5 strain accounted for 23.5% of U.S. cases and BA.4 accounted for 11.4%, becoming the second and third most dominant subvariants, respectively, according to CDC data.
In the first week of May, the two variants accounted for only about 1 percent of new COVID cases.
In the southeast region, which includes Florida, BA.5 accounted for 24.8% of cases in the area and BA.4 accounted for 9.4%, the second and third most dominant.
READ MORE: ‘We should definitely be concerned.’ Miami-Dade’s COVID-19 cases, positivity rates soar
COVID spread in South Florida
Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Manatee and Monroe are at a high COVID-19 risk level, according to the CDC. Under the high-risk level, the CDC recommends everyone wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
If you are immunocompromised or at a high risk for severe disease, the CDC recommends wearing a mask as well as avoiding “non-essential” indoor actives in public.
READ MORE: Miami-Dade’s COVID-19 cases, positivity rates soar
South Florida and Manatee County COVID-19 Cases
In the period from June 10-16, Florida has seen 74,300 new cases, according to Miami Herald calculations of the CDC’s Community Profile Report published Tuesday.
Here’s a breakdown of the new COVID cases in South Florida and Manatee County, according to the report.
▪ Miami-Dade reported 17,177 new resident cases in the week ending June 2, reaching a total of 1,310,707. Cases added were 9% more than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing increased by 3.73%.
▪ Broward reported 7,852 new resident cases, reaching a total of 663,419. Cases added were 7% fewer than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 3.21%.
▪ Palm Beach reported 4,633 new resident cases, reaching a total of 405,115. Cases added were 7% fewer than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 13.7%.
▪ Monroe reported 200 new resident cases, reaching a total of 19,845. Cases added were 5% more than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 9.78%.
▪ Manatee reported 1,136 new resident cases, reaching a total of 103,886. Cases added were 5% fewer than those added in the previous week and COVID-19 testing decreased by 6.15%.
South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths
Florida has added 240 deaths in the past week, according to Miami Herald calculations of the CDC’s Tuesday Community Profile Report.
It is unclear when these newly reported deaths occurred. The Community Profile Report updates Florida’s county tolls and rates about once every seven days.
As of Tuesday’s Community Profile Report, Florida had a rate of 350 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic.
Here’s where death rates and tolls stand in South Florida and Manatee County, according to the CDC:
▪ Miami-Dade’s death toll is 11,043, an increase of 26 deaths from Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 406 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.
▪ Broward’s death toll is 5,929, an increase of 26. That’s a rate of 304 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.
▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,131, an increase of 17. That’s a rate of 343 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.
▪ Monroe’s death toll is 120, an increase of one new death. The county would be at a death rate of 162 deaths per 100,000 people if its population were that large.
▪ Manatee’s death toll is 1,462, an increase of seven. Manatee has a rate of 363 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.
Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations
There were 3,464 people hospitalized in Florida, with 344 in the ICU, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services report on Tuesday.
Over the past three weeks, on average, 49 more people were hospitalized each day in Florida, showing an increase in seven-day average hospital trends. During the same time, on average, six more people were in the ICU with COVID each day in Florida, another increase in trends.
At omicron’s January peak, more than 15,000 patients were hospitalized in Florida, according to HHS data.
Miami-Dade County no longer collects and reports COVID hospitalizations data in its “COVID-19 Daily Dashboard.”
Florida COVID-19 vaccinations
About 14,342,962 eligible Floridians — 66.8% of the state’s population — have completed the two-dose series of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to the CDC.
About 5,719,711 Floridians have received a booster, about 39.9% of the state’s fully vaccinated population.
Here’s how many people have received a booster in South Florida and Manatee County, according to the CDC:
▪ In Miami-Dade, about 800,578 people, or 34.3% of the fully vaccinated population, have received a booster.
▪ In Broward, about 567,388 people have received a booster, or 40.4% of the fully vaccinated population.
▪ In Palm Beach, about 445,075 people have received a booster, or 44.4% of the fully vaccinated population.
▪ In Monroe, about 22,910 people have received a booster, or 39% of the fully vaccinated population.
▪ In Manatee, about 114,093 people have received a booster, or 45.4% of the fully vaccinated population.
This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 2:14 PM.
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