Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Past week Florida reported 150,118 new COVID-19 cases that is a slight decrease from the 151,468 new cases in the state a week earlier.
According to the newest data from the Florida Department of Health, since the start of the pandemic, Florida has reported 3,027,954 COVID-19 cases and 42,252 deaths connected to the novel coronavirus.
According to infectious disease expert Dr. Aileen Marty of Florida International University, with a higher rate of transmission of the virus than ever before, the state remains the epicenter for COVID-19 in the U.S.
“Last week in Florida we had 697 cases per 100,000,” she said. “That is way too high.”
This week’s data reflects that more than 21,000 new COVID-19 cases are being reported daily in Florida on average.
According to the Florida Hospital Association, hospitalizations have also been increasing, with a record, 16,973 people confirmed to be admitted in the state with COVID-19 on Thursday.
On Friday that number dropped slightly to 16,849.
The recent hospitalization numbers nearly double the 2020 peak.
“Through the powerful voices of our frontline health care heroes comes the life-saving pleas for Floridians to get vaccinated,” Mary C. Mayhew, President, and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association said in a statement Friday. “Half the COVID-19 cases at a major Florida hospital system are under 40 — the threat is real. Get vaccinated to protect yourself. Get vaccinated to ensure you will be there for your family.”
The most concerning, children are filling hospital intensive care beds instead of schools in record numbers, more even than at the height of the pandemic.
“Currently we have more patients in the hospital and younger patients in the hospital from COVID-19 than we have had at any other time in the pandemic,” Marty said.
With the new school year beginning, many students are too young to get vaccines, which are available only to those 12 and over.
The latest state data shows that 66% of eligible Floridians (ages 12 and older) have received at least one vaccine shot.
Miami-Dade has 85% of its eligible population vaccinated; Broward has 76%; Monroe has 75%; Palm Beach County has 70%.
