Florida registered more than 17,000 cases of coronavirus on Thursday, closing a year that brought more than a million cases of the virus to Florida and left hundreds of thousands of people dead across the country. It is the biggest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases that Florida has ever seen.
The Florida Department of Health announced 17,192 cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 1,323,315 since the first publicly announced infection in March. The average number of weekly cases increased to around 12,702 cases announced per day.
During the summer, Florida broke national records by recording more than 15,000 cases in one day. Since then, only California and Texas have reported larger increases in a single day.
As of Wednesday, about 166,000 tests were processed, resulting in a daily positivity rate of 11.57 percent, according to state data that is updated and reported every 24 hours.
“The number we’re getting now is probably an underestimate of the disease,” said Dr. Marissa Levine, professor of public health and family medicine at the University of South Florida.
Levine said that some cases may never be counted by state officials because the tests are simply not widely publicized. She said she anticipates increases in hospitalizations and deaths related to the coronavirus. With Florida’s relaxed restrictions, Levine said “it’s just a matter of time” until a variant strain of coronavirus is identified here, as it was earlier this week in California and Colorado.
Health officials also recorded 133 deaths from the virus on Thursday. Across the state, 21,990 people died. The weekly death toll has risen to about 117 people announced as dead per day.
The country also reported record deaths this week. The United States followed a record number of daily deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday, exceeding the peak reached just a day earlier. More than 3,740 people died of coronavirus on Wednesday, compared to 3,725 on Tuesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
Vaccinations: As of Thursday, 211,165 people in Florida have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. It increased by 35,700 people on Wednesday.
In Hillsborough County, 13,562 people were vaccinated; in Pinellas, 13,559; in Polk, 3,248; in Manatee, 3,298; in Pasco, 4,259; in Hernando, 1,462; and in Citrus, 905.
Miami-Dade and Broward counties have been the most vaccinated so far, followed by Orange, then Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
The launch of the vaccine was a slow and confusing process for many in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis said last week that residents age 65 and older can get the vaccine, but many have difficulty finding information about when and where to apply for it.
If more people are hospitalized because of COVID-19, Levine said stress in the hospital system could affect the distribution of vaccines.
“If the health system is overburdened, it affects the ability to vaccinate properly and efficiently,” she said.
Hospitalizations: About 6,320 people are hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of coronavirus across the state, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration. About 1,300 are in the Tampa Bay area.
Cases leading to hospitalization increased by 366 admissions.
Across the state, about 22% of hospital beds and 18% of beds in intensive care units were available. In Tampa Bay, about 20% of hospital beds and 16% of ICU beds were available. Tampa General Hospital and the Bayonet Point Regional Medical Center in Pasco County had only a few ICU beds available on Thursday morning.
Positivity: Florida’s average weekly positivity rate is about 11%, according to Johns Hopkins University. It increased after the Christmas holiday closed, which led to a drop in testing.
When positivity is very high, it indicates that there are not enough tests to capture and stop the spread of mild and asymptomatic cases. The World Health Organization has established a recommendation for a positivity rate of 5 percent or less before loosening movement restrictions. Only five states and the District of Columbia meet this recommendation, according to the university.
Local numbers: Tampa Bay added 3,150 coronavirus cases and 34 deaths on Thursday.
Manatee counties reported 11 deaths, Polk seven, Citrus five, Pinellas four, Hillsborough and Hernando three each and Pasco reported one.
Polk County leads the area with an average weekly positivity rate of 16 percent, followed by Hillsborough with 14 percent, Citrus, Hernando and Pasco with 13 percent and Manatee and Pinellas with 10 percent. Positivity rates increased as tests dropped due to the end of Christmas.
Levine urged people to behave responsibly, especially during the New Year holidays. She said Florida is likely to continue to have a high disease rate in the coming weeks because of the holiday season.
“This is no time to assume that we can just let our guard down,” said Levine. “Our guard needs to be high and even higher than before.”
By the last count, Hillsborough has 77,118 cases and 1,078 deaths; Pinellas has 44,975 cases and 1,056 deaths; Polk has 37,403 cases and 795 deaths; The manatee has 22,332 cases and 438 deaths; Pasco has 21,932 cases and 379 deaths; Hernando has 7,336 cases and 280 deaths; and Citrus has 6,663 cases and 268 deaths.
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Florida coronavirus cases by age group
Doctors say the elderly are at an increased risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19, which makes Florida especially vulnerable.
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