Florida COVID weekly update: Miami-Dade drops to medium risk of transmission

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida?

The average number of cases and decreased in the latest seven-day period in the state.

As of Thursday, Jan. 26, the state has added an average of 3,138 cases and 46 deaths per day in the past seven days, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s down from an average of 4,039 cases and 62 deaths per day in the previous seven-day period.

READ MORE HERE: What’s the COVID situation in Miami and why are Florida hospitals full of patients?

As of Friday, Jan. 27, more than 14,891,000 people were fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 7,443,954 cases and 84,927 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The number of cases is likely an undercount because the data doesn’t include positive results from at-home COVID testing. The state tracks only resident cases and deaths, excluding nonresident information.

Here’s a breakdown of what to know this week:

Tracking COVID variants

The CDC is tracking 18 omicron subvariants, 12 of which are spreading throughout the United States and make up all new cases.

From Jan. 22 to Jan. 28, the XBB.1.5 strain was the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for 61.3% of cases. The BQ.1.1 variant is now the second-most dominant strain, accounting for 21.8% of cases, according to CDC data.

In the Southeast region, which includes Florida, XBB.1.5 made up 52.1% of cases and was the most dominant strain, while BQ.1.1 was the second-most dominant, accounting for 28.4% of the cases.

COVID spread in South Florida

Miami-Dade lowered to a medium risk level, joining Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach counties.

At this level, the CDC recommends those at high risk of severe illness talk with their doctors on whether to wear a mask or take other precautions.

Manatee County lowered to a low risk level in the last week. The CDC no longer wearing masks at this level.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID-19 Cases

From Jan. 19 to Jan. 26 Florida recorded 21,966 new cases, according to Miami Herald calculations of the CDC’s Community Profile Report published Friday.

Here’s a breakdown of the new COVID cases in South Florida and Manatee County, according to the report.

▪ Miami-Dade reported 4,069 new resident cases in the week ending Jan. 26, reaching a cumulative total of 1,524,998 since March 2020, when the pandemic began. New cases were 38.03% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 20.12%.

▪ Broward reported 1,942 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 763,034. New cases were 36.68% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 15.91%.

▪ Palm Beach reported 1,434 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 472,411. New cases were 25.66% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 10.29%.

▪ Monroe reported 46 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 22,569. New cases were 47.73% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 1.12%.

▪ Manatee reported 301 new resident cases, reaching a cumulative total of 121,510. New cases were 30.80% fewer than those added in the previous week, and COVID-19 testing decreased by 4.02%.

South Florida and Manatee County COVID deaths

Florida has added 316 deaths in the past week, according to Miami Herald calculations of the CDC’s Community Profile Report.

It is unclear when these newly reported deaths occurred. The Community Profile Report updates Florida’s county death tolls and rates about once every seven days.

Florida had a rate of 395 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic, according to the CDC report.

Here’s where death rates and tolls stand in South Florida and Manatee County, according to the CDC:

▪ Miami-Dade’s death toll is 12,126, an increase of 32 deaths from last Friday’s report. That’s a rate of 446 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

▪ Broward’s death toll is 6,640, an increase of 22. That’s a rate of 340 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Palm Beach’s death toll is 5,904, an increase of 28. That’s a rate of 394 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

▪ Monroe’s death toll is 135, an increase of one. The county would be at a death rate of 182 deaths per 100,000 people if its population were that large.

▪ Manatee’s death toll is 1,702, an increase of eight. Manatee has a rate of 422 cumulative deaths per 100,000 people.

Florida COVID-19 vaccinations

About 14,891,239 eligible Floridians — 69.3% of the state’s population — have completed the two-dose series of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, according to the CDC.

Here’s how many people have received the updated Pfizer-BioNTech booster in South Florida and Manatee County since Oct. 12, according to the CDC:

▪ In Miami-Dade, about 208,825 people, or 8.2% of the fully vaccinated population, have received the booster.

▪ In Broward, about 199,576 people have received the booster, or 10.8% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Palm Beach, about 189,243 people have received the booster, or 13.3% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Monroe, about 9,769 people have received the booster, or 13.8% of the fully vaccinated population.

▪ In Manatee, about 52,217 people have received the booster, or 13.6% of the fully vaccinated population.