What’s the COVID risk in South Florida? There’s been a change in level and guidance
The COVID risk levels in South Florida have dropped in February.
Last week, Palm Beach County joined Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties in falling to a low risk level of virus transmission. The CDC no longer recommends wearing masks at this level.
Before last week, Palm Beach County remained at a medium risk level. At this level, the CDC recommends that those at high risk of severe illness talk with their doctors about whether to wear a mask or take other precautions.
Miami-Dade, Broward and the Florida Keys were at a medium risk level at the start of February before dropping to low.
What does high, medium, low COVID risk level mean?
Depending on the risk level of your county, the mask guidance varies:
▪ If you live in a high-risk county, the CDC is recommending you wear a high-quality mask or respirator. The public health agency is also recommending that people considered to be “at risk” for getting very sick avoid non-essential indoor activities in public.
▪ If you live in a medium-risk county, the CDC is recommending anyone considered to be at high risk of severe illness wear a high-quality mask or respirator when indoors in public.
▪ If you live in a low-risk county, the CDC is recommending people who are considered to be high risk for severe illness speak with their doctor on whether they should wear a mask or take other precautions.
The CDC is also recommending people stay up-to-date with their COVID vaccination, including the bivalent booster, regardless of what risk level their county is in.
Check your county’s risk level
To check your county’s risk level, visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html
What does this mean for Florida’s COVID situation?
Cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been some of the key indicators that officials have used to gauge the COVID-19 situation in Florida and the rest of the United States, though they do have some limitations.
Case counts, for example, can help give people a sense of how much the virus is spreading, though the figure is likely an undercount because it doesn’t include positive results from at-home testing.
This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 8:28 AM.
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