Florida adds 5,294 COVID-19 cases as Miami-Dade’s 14-day average tops 6%

Florida’s Department of Health on Wednesday announced 5,294 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state also announced 89 new deaths. Of those who died, 87 were residents.

The state has recorded a known total of 2,057,735 coronavirus cases and 34,072 deaths. Among those who died, 33,425 were residents and 647 were nonresidents.

On Wednesday, the state reported the results of 77,448 residents tested on Tuesday. The state’s positivity for first-time testers increased from 6.36% to 6.67%. The 14-day average in MiamiDade County also remains over 6%, which complicates Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s plan to end the midnight curfew by April 5. She wants the two-week average to be 5.5% or under. The current average is 6.38%.

More than 3.3 million Floridians have completed the two-dose series of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or have completed Johnson & Johnson’s singledose vaccine, according to Wednesday’s vaccine report. That’s about 15% of the state’s population, according to The New York Times. So far, 234,962 people have received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and 3,072,361 have completed a two-dose series.

Miami-Dade County reported 977 new cases and 10 deaths, putting its pandemic totals at 445,464 cases and 5,855 deaths. On Tuesday, the county reported 30 deaths. In Miami-Dade, 335,306 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna, and 38,588 have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and 365,015 have completed a two-dose series. Positivity decreased from 6.48% to 6.43%. The 14-day average is 6.38% as of Wednesday’s Miami-Dade New Normal report.

Broward County added 719 cases and 22 deaths, moving its totals to 214,599 cases and

2,656 deaths. In Broward, 228,280 people have received a first dose, and 19,166 have received Johnson & Johnson and 268,383 have completed a two-dose series. Positivity increased from 7.35% to 7.48%.

Palm Beach County reported 346 new cases and four new deaths, bringing its cumulative count to 131,581 cases and 2,649 deaths. In Palm Beach County, 158,428 people have received a first dose, and 14,361 have received the single-dose vaccine, and 252,375 have completed a two-dose series. Positivity decreased from 6.75% to 6.19%.

Monroe County added 14 new cases and no new deaths. Pandemic totals in the Keys are 6,428 cases and 48 deaths. In the Keys,

10,924 people have received a first dose, 618 have either received Johnson & Johnson and 11,449 have completed a twodose series. Positivity decreased from 5.86% to 3.49%.

As of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration said there were 2,943 people hospitalized. Of these, Broward had 416; Palm Beach, 197; and Monroe, five, the agency said.

According to Miami-Dade’s New Normal Dashboard, county hospitals reported 553 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, down from 583 on Monday. There were 94 new patients and 109 were discharged.

Howard Cohen: 305376-3619, @HowardCohen