Average for new daily cases drops below 3,000 for first time since week of July 4
Florida reported 2,505 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, sending the 7-day average below 3,000 for the first time since July 7, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The state also increased its total death count by three. Florida counts deaths by the day they occur, not the day they are reported and it can take two weeks or more for a death to be reflected in the data.
The 7-day average for daily deaths was 240 on Wednesday, according to Sun Sentinel calculations based on the change in the state’s overall death count. The 7-day average for new daily cases was 2,870.
There have been 3,614,272 confirmed cases of COVID in the state and at least 57,303 Floridians have died since the start of the pandemic.
As of Wednesday, 3,153 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Florida, a 24.9% decrease from the previous week but slightly more than the 3,307 hospitalized on Tuesday.
Here are the latest statistics:
The CDC on Tuesday updated its county-by county COVID numbers, which it has released weekly. South Florida counties have among the lowest cases per capita in the state, this week’s data shows. The statistics are for the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 3.
Over the previous week:
Palm Beach County saw a 28% drop in cases and a 14% drop in deaths;
Broward County saw a 28% drop in cases and a 23% drop in deaths;
Miami-Dade County saw a 26% drop in cases and a 36% drop in deaths;
Orange County saw a 31% drop in cases and a 49% increase in deaths.
Florida continues to drop in rankings of cases per capita, falling to second-tolast as of Oct. 13, according to New York Times data. The data shows 14 COVID cases per 100,000 population in Florida. Alaska ranked first with 110 average cases per 100,000.
Florida still ranks near the top in deaths per capita. As of Oct. 3, the state was third with 1.12 deaths per 100,000 population — behind West Virginia with 1.76 and Idaho with 1.39, the Times data shows.
Florida’s positivity rate has been declining since mid-August, a further indication the state may have passed the peak of the delta surge. The state releases positivity data weekly.