The number of hospitalized patients continues to climb as Florida reports over 4,500 newc ases.

Florida reported 4,544 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, a figure lower than some recent daily counts but still high enough to suggest the recent surge in cases is continuing.

The state also reported 45 additional deaths, a figure that reflects fatalities that might have occurred over weeks but are now being logged.

The number of patients hospitalized for the disease continued to climb. While nowhere near the totals at the disease’s peak in summer, the increase is a worrisome trend that indicates South Florida is experiencing a surge similar to what’s taking place across the United States.

In Bro ward County, for example, there are currently 300 patients hospitalized for the coronavirus, according to the Florida Agency on Healthcare Administration.

Although that’ s well below the 1,200plus reported in July, it represents a significant increase from the 222 reported two weeks ago.

The number of new cases and deaths is reported daily by the Florida Department of Health. The totals have been climbing over the past few weeks. Last Sunday, the state reported 6,820 new cases, the highest daily total since August.

South Florida

Broward County: 354 additional cases, and four more deaths. The county has a known total of 93,868 cases and 1,614 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Palm Beach County: 300 additional cases and two more deaths. The county nowhas 57,661 confirmed cases and 1,646 deaths. Miami-Dade County: 1,187 additional cases and one additional death. The county now has 200,259 confirmed cases and 3,729 deaths. Testing and positivity rates Public health experts say the virus is considered under control when the COVID-19 test positivity rate is under 5%. Florida exceeds 5% by both of its measures of assessing the rate for testing of residents.

In the first calculation, the state reported a daily positivity rate of 9.95%. This method of calculating positivity counts new infections only, but also counts repeat negative tests, which skews the figure downward.

According to the state, Friday’s new case numbers reflect the results of 49,617 COVID-19 tests of Florida residents received from labs in the past day, down from 94,776 results reported Friday.

In the second calculation, which includes re tests of people who were previously diagnosed, the statewide daily positivity rate is 11.41%, based on the latest results for49,617 residents. That’s up from 9.18% the previous day.

Broward County: Daily positivity rate of 8.68% for people with new infections only, down from8.88% the previous day.

Palm Beach County: Daily positivity rate of 10.09% for people with new infections only, up from8.99% the previous day and the highest total since early August.

Miami-Dade County: Daily positivity rate of 9.53% for people with new infections only, up from 9.16% the previous day.

Hospitalizations

The number of people hospitalized in Florida for C OVID -19 continued to rise.

As of 5p.m. Saturday, Friday, 3,151 people were hospitalized in Florida with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19. That’ s an increase of 22 patients in the past 24 hours. In South Florida, Broward County reported 300 patients, down by seven fromthe previous day; Palm Beach County had 227, down by five; and Miami-Dade had the most in the state with 440, an increase of seven. The online report from the state Agency for Health Care Administration updates frequently throughout the day. Hospitalizations hit a peak in late July of about 9,500 patients. Four weeks ago, the number was 2,155 and has bee non a steady increase since.

Since the pandemic began, 51,813 residents have been hospitalized for the disease.

Child infections

COVID-19 infections among children under age 18 are rising by hundreds of cases each day in Florida. Friday’s data show76,174 cases statewide, an increase of 453 from the previous day.

Records show638,249 kids have been swabbed since the beginning of the pandemic. About 11.9% of them have tested positive.

Overall, the statistics show 15,967 cases among children in Miami-Dade County, the most in the state,

followed by 10,023 cases in Bro ward. There have been 4,617 confirmed infections in Palm Beach County kids.

The statewide report also shows

885 children have been treated in

hospitals for C OVID -19 illness since March; nine have died. The death total has been the same since Sept.

26.

Deaths

Statewide: The state’s pandemic data report shows a total of 17,489 Floridians had died from C OVID -19. In addition, the deaths of 215 non- residents have been attributed to the virus. Most of the fatalities reported Saturday happened in recentweeks butwere just confirmed in the past day.

Florida has the fourth-highest total of COVID-19 deaths among the states, behind California, Texas and New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Florida’s death rate since the pandemic began ranks 12th among states, at 81 deaths per 100,000 people, the CDC reports. That’s higher than the national rate of 73 deaths per 100,000, but an improvement forth estate in recent weeks.

The state ranks 27 th for deaths per 100,000 people over the last seven days.

Long-term-care facilities: At least 6,993 residents and staff have died at nursing homes and assisted-living centers throughout Florida.

That’ s another 17 reported death sin the past day, stated at a show.

Miami-Dade County has reported the highest number of death sat longterm-care facilities, with 855. Palm Beach County is second with 733, one more than the previous day. Bro ward has reported 457 deaths, unchanged from the previous day.

National and global view

U.S .: Almost 10.9 million people in the country have been infected with the novel coronavirus and 245,495 have died as of about 6 p.m. Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University’ s C OVID -19 dashboard.

World: At least 53.7 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 and 1.3 million people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins says. The U.S. has had the most COVID-19 cases and deaths of any country. The U.S. has 4.3% of theworld’s population, but 19.87% of theworld’s cases and 18.8% of the world’ s deaths.