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Florida Reports 1,976 Daily Coronavirus Cases, Fewest In A Month

WUSF | By Steve Newborn

Published May 17, 2021 at 8:51 PM EDT

Health experts have said positivity rates consistently below 5% could indicate community transmission is under control. On Monday, the rate was below that mark for the eighth straight day.

The Florida Department of Health on Monday reported the addition of 1,976 coronavirus cases , the fewest since mid-April.

And while the state said people hospitalized for complications related to COVID-19 was up slightly to 2,443, it's still the second-lowest number since the beginning of November.

State officials also reported 59 more deaths related to complications from COVID-19. Twelve were recorded among residents or staff at long-term care facilities.

Overall, resident deaths reached 36,133 in the state. Of those, 11,426 were in long-term care facilities.

The positivity rate for people tested for the first time was 4.42 percent, the eighth straight day the rate was below 5 percent. Health experts have said positivity rates consistently below 5% could indicate community transmission is under control.

According to data collected by Johns Hopkins and analyzed by NPR, the average daily new caseload is 3,171. That’s an 18 percent decrease from last week’s average daily caseload and a 35 percent decrease from the average daily case numbers two weeks ago.

Meantime, President Joe Biden said that the number of coronavirus cases are down in all 50 states for the first time since the pandemic began.

State Totals (as of Monday, May 17)

Positive Tests – 2,293,980 | Deaths – 36,857

Daily Changes:

State: Positive Tests – 1,976 | Deaths – 59
Greater Tampa Bay region: Positive Tests – 357| Deaths – 14

Daily Testing (statewide):

Tests Received – 53,329 | Positivity Rate – 4.42%

ABOUT THE DATA: The Florida Department of Health produces a daily update around 11 a.m. with information about COVID-19 cases and deaths that were reported over the previous 24 hours. Cases and deaths in the report may have happened days or weeks earlier, according to state officials. The state separately tracks cases and deaths that occurred on specific days on its dashboard and those totals are frequently updated.

Florida COVID-19 daily total of positive tests/deaths for the last two weeks:

May 17: 1,976/59
May 16: 2,482/22
May 15: 3,319/57
May 14: 3,590/71
May 13: 4,064/50
May 12: 3,184/51
May 11: 3,263/49
May 10: 2,296/53
May 9: 3,321/33
May 8: 3,977/66
May 7: 4,165/89
May 6: 4,504/73
May 5: 4,394/82
May 4: 3,682/93

Florida Reports 1,976 Daily Coronavirus Cases, Fewest In A Month

Health experts have said positivity rates consistently below 5% could indicate community transmission is under control. On Monday, the rate was below that mark for the eighth straight day.

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