Florida’s numbers hold steady

2,795 new cases, 107 new deaths reported Saturday

Florida reported totals for new coronavirus cases and deaths Saturday that were in line with averages over the past three weeks, as the state’s reopening plans kicked into a higher gear.

Saturday’s pandemic data report from the state Department of Health shows 2 ,7 9 5 new COVID-19 infections and 107 deaths attributed to the disease. Most of these deaths happened weeks ago, but were just confirmed as virus fatalities.

Over the past seven days, Florida has reported an average of 106 deaths and 2,493 cases on the daily data reports.

On Sept. 6, the state’s seven-day average of reported deaths was 105, and on Sept. 8, the seven-day average of cases was 2,722.

With the numbers holding steady, COVID-19 hospitalizations declining, and daily testing positivity below 5%, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday gave the green light to shift the state into phase 3 of the coronavirus recovery. That mainly allows restaurants and bars to operate at full capacity indoors.

Even South Florida, which had the worst of the state’s outbreak, suddenly found itself caught up in the reopening hoopla earlier than expected. But there still will be certain limitations in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.

The governor’s directive cleared the way for all bars and any other businesses in Palm Beach County that were previously closed to reopen Friday. Broward County issued a similar order late Friday night, providing for reopenings with various social distancing rules and other restrictions.

South Florida

180 additional confirmed coronavirus cases were rep o r t e d Sa t u rd ay. T h e county has tallied 76,700 cases and 1,405 deaths, 15 more than Friday’s total.

160 additional cases of COVID-19 were reported Saturday. The county has had 46,183 confirmed cases and 1,363 deaths linked to the disease, five more than Friday.

369 additional cases were rep o r t e d Sa t u rd ay. T h e county has had a total of 169,144 cases and 3,252 deaths, 29 more than Friday’s report.

Testing and positivity rates

More than 5.24 million people have been tested for COVID-19 in Florida since the pandemic began, producing an overall positivity rate of 13.33%, state data show. At least 698,682 people have tested positive and 4.53 million people have tested negative.

In South Florida, the cumulative positivity rates are 18.61% for Miami-Dade C o u n t y, 13.6 3 % for Broward County and 12.66% for Palm Beach County. As of Saturday, 909,020 people have been swabbed in Miami-Dade, 562,826 people have been tested in Broward, and 3 6 4,74 5 people got COVID-19 tests in Palm Beach County.

State officials on Saturday reported the daily testing positivity rate for Florida was below 5% for the third straight day.

The data show the daily positivity at 4.14%, down from 4.25% the previous day. This figure reflects only new infections based on COVID-19 testing for the day; it does not count people who previously tested positive for the disease.

The rate has been below 5% for 13 out of the past 15 days, dipping to 3.85% on Sept. 13, the lowest in three months. Public health experts say the virus is under control at this level.

The daily positivity rates reported Saturday were 2.98% for Broward County, up from 2.90% the previous day; 3.20% for Palm Beach County, up from 2.89%; and 4.03% for Miami-Dade County, down from 5.34%.

Saturday’s report from the state shows test results for 72,903 Florida residents, up from 72,070 results reported the previous day, and 63,874 results two days ago. These results include retests of people who were previously diagnosed.

Hospitalizations

As of 1 p.m. Saturday, 2,099 people across the state were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19. The number is down 22 since 5 p.m. Friday.

Broward County reported 215 patients currently hospitalized; Palm Beach County had 111; and Miami-Dade had the most in the state with 268.

The online report from the state Agency for Health Care Administration updates several t i me s throughout the day. Hospitalizations have been going down since hitting a peak in late July.

Since the pandemic began, a total of 43,469 state residents have been hospitalized for the disease in Florida, according to the Department of Health.

Deaths

The official COVID-19 report, updated Saturday, shows 14,022 Florida resident deaths. In addition, 168 nonresident deaths have been attributed to the virus in the state. The state does not say whether the victims had underlying health conditions.

F l o r i d a ’s C OV I D -19 death rate is eleventh among states in the nation — tied with Georgia and Delaware, with 65 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Overall the state ranks fifth for COVID-19 fatalities in the U.S., behind New York, New Jersey, California and Texas. Florida is the third-most populous state in the nation, after California and Texas.