Florida COVID update for Monday: Fewest cases in months, percent positivity increases

Michelle Marchante
·3 min read

Florida’s Department of Health on Monday announced 1,613 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the lowest in six months. The state also announced 35 new resident deaths.

Monday’s single day case count is the lowest seen since Oct. 12, when 1,533 cases were reported. While Mondays, like Sundays, usually see a smaller case count because less data is processed during the weekend, testing also decreased.

On Monday, the state reported the results of 24,169 residents tested on Sunday, the lowest recorded in months. The state’s percent positivity increased from 7.64% to 8%, the highest rate on record since Feb. 1.

The state has recorded a known total of 2,125,846 coronavirus cases and 34,720 deaths. Among those who died, 34,056 were residents and 664 were nonresidents.

More than 4.4 million Floridians have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to Sunday’s vaccine report.

COVID-19 in Florida

▪ Miami-Dade County reported 388 new cases. The county’s death toll was also reduced by one, leaving its pandemic totals at 461,041 cases and 5,980 new deaths. The state has previously said that a county’s death toll might be decreased if officials learn that the person who died was from another county.

In Miami-Dade, 369,029 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 587,066 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity increased from 7.20% to 9.00%.

▪ Broward County reported 204 new cases and one death, putting its pandemic totals at 223,356 cases and 2,721 deaths. In Broward, 266,899 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 391,966 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity increased from 6.93% to 7.48%.

▪ Palm Beach County reported 98 new cases and 10 deaths, bringing its cumulative count to 136,206 cases and 2,700 deaths. In Palm Beach, 192,857 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 339,406 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity increased from 6.39% to 6.99%.

▪ Monroe County added no new cases or deaths. Pandemic totals in the Keys are at 6,642 cases and 50 deaths. In Monroe, 11,797 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 16,687 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity decreased from 6.01% to 1.39%.

FLORIDA COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reports the number of patients hospitalized statewide with a “primary diagnosis of COVID.” The data, which is updated at least every hour, does not distinguish between the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital intensive care units and those in acute-care beds, which require less attention from nurses.

Government officials use current hospitalizations to decide the next steps in fighting the pandemic.

As of 6:30 p.m. Monday, the agency said there were 3,184 people hospitalized. Of these, Miami-Dade had 581; Broward, 445; Palm Beach, 210; and Monroe, 1, the agency said.

According to Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard, county hospitals have reported 611 COVID-19 patients, up from 608 on Sunday. There were 71 new patients and 74 were discharged.

State hospitalization data doesn’t always match Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard data for various reasons, including the frequency of daily updates.

Miami Herald staff writers Ana Claudia Chacin and Carli Teproff contributed to this report.