9,806 new cases, hospitalizations continue decline

Florida reported 9,806 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the daily average to 10,971. There have been nearly 3.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state also increased its total coronavirus death toll by eight on Saturday. At least 50,825 Floridians have died of COVID-related complications. Deaths are counted on the day they occur, not the day they are reported, and can take up to two weeks or more to be reflected in the data.

On Thursday, the number of people hospitalized for COVID in Florida dropped below 10,000 for the first time since late July, a 19% decline over the past week, according to data from the Florida

Hospital Association. On Saturday, 9,393 people were hospitalized.

Here are the latest statistics: The CDC on Tuesday resumed reporting Florida’s county-level COVID data for the first time since June 6. The new weekly data shows that South Florida’s counties are faring better in per capita deaths and cases than many others in the state, particularly in northern central counties.

Florida ranks 20th in the nation for new cases per capita as of Saturday and first in the nation for deaths, according to New York Times data.

On Sept. 16, Florida reported a decline in its positivity rate, though it remains one of the highest in the nation. The positivity rate in Florida declined from 13.5% to 11.2%, a further indication the state may have passed the peak of the delta surge. The state releases positivity data weekly.