Florida COVID cases drop as hospitalizations plateau

After weeks of decline, hospitalizations for COVID-19 were flat across Florida this week. Here are the latest data:

1,128 hospitalized patients, equivalent to last week’s average. This comes after a few weeks of decline from a peak of about 3,000 in the first week of January. (Source: Department of Health and Human Services).

7,397 new infections This week is fewer than the 11,100 infections recorded last week and the fewest since the week ended April 9, 2020. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

The CDC said on March 9 that it was unable to report Florida’s weekly case count due to “technical issues.”

As the number of federally reported COVID tests dwindles and people choose to test at home, an unknown number of infections will go uncounted.

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Latest sewage data: Orlando area alert?

Effluents revealing coronavirus trends earlier than official case counts show viral load may be surging in one of the Florida counties testing sewage.

The latest Orange County tests revealed an increase in the number of virus particles in sewage in the two weeks ending March 8, according to Boston-based research institute Biobot Analytics. Orlando is the county seat.

A private laboratory found approximately 696 virus fragments per milliliter of sewage on March 8, a 56% increase from February 22. But he’s still less than half the level he recorded in late December and early January. Test results from the national WastewaterSCAN initiative released this week also show viral loads are rising in Orange County, though they are still much lower than they were months ago.

Biobot and national WastewaterSCAN sewage tests show continued declines in virus counts in sewage in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Alachua, Leon, Hillsboro, Pinellas, and Seminole counties.

Should I wear a mask indoors?

As the number of COVID-positive patients and cases continues to decline, the CDC no longer recommends indoor masking anywhere in Florida to prevent strain on local hospitals. It’s the same for most counties across the country, including all states.

Nearly 700 new deaths in the last two weeks

681 more dead Comparing Friday’s Department of Health data with CDC data from two weeks ago is recorded in the past two weeks. The CDC did not report total deaths last week. The state publishes reports biweekly.

Florida still has the worst vaccination rates in the nation

29.9% — Floridians 65+ with the latest booster*

41.8% — Elderly population is increasing nationwide**

11.2% — Latest Floridian about shots

16.4% — Newest American

87,141 Florida residents killed, except for more than 3,000, which state auditors found in 2020. State Department of Health did not count.

Over 7.5 million It is infected in Florida, which is more than 1 in 3 residents.

* People over the age of 65 account for the majority of deaths from COVID.

**Only seniors in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee have less protection than seniors in Florida.

Chris Persaud is a data reporter for the Palm Beach Post. email him at cpersaud[at]pbpost.com.click @ChrisMPersaud follow him on twitter.