Florida COVID Numbers Continue Downward Trend Going Into Memorial Day

The Florida Department of Health did not publish COVID-19 reports over the Memorial Day weekend, but Friday's data reflected the continued trend of improvement.

The number of people hospitalized in Florida due to COVID-19 fell to just over 2,000, the lowest since Health News Florida began keeping tabs on state data last summer.

As of Friday afternoon, there were 2,002 people hospitalized in Florida with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration. That's almost one-fifth of the approximately 9,500 people hospitalized in mid-July, when cases of coronavirus were spiking in Florida.

The positivity rate for new cases also fell to 3.06%, the lowest it's been since Health News Florida began tracking the data daily in July.

Meanwhile, the the state added 2,338 new coronavirus cases on Friday — on par with the general trend over the past two weeks, when average new daily cases have numbered 2,469.

The deaths of another 43 people in the state from complications related to COVID-19 were recorded Friday.

Nearly 10.2 million people in the state have received a COVID-19 vaccine, or 47% of Florida’s population. About 8.1 million people (38%) are considered fully vaccinated.

The state said it will resume daily COVID-19 data on Tuesday.

State Totals (as of Friday, May 28)

· Positive Tests – 2,320,818 | Deaths – 37,512

Daily Changes:

· State: Positive Tests – 2,338 | Deaths – 43

· Greater Tampa Bay region: Positive Tests – 550 | Deaths – 6

Daily Testing (statewide):

· Tests Received – 92,368 | Positivity Rate – 3.06%

ABOUT THE DATA: The Florida Department of Health produces a daily update 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 28: 2,338/43

· May 27: 2,338/87

· May 26: 2,327/66

· May 25: 1,824/81

· May 24: 1,606/28

· May 23: 2,069/13

· May 22: 3,406/22

· May 21: 2,371/96

· May 20: 2,893/77

· May 19: 2,811/45

· May 18: 2,805/97

· May 17: 1,976/59

· May 16: 2,482/22

· May 15: 3,319/57

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