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Florida Adds 17,000 More COVID Cases As Hospitalizations Continue To Spike

WUSF | By Stephanie Colombini

Published August 4, 2021 at 7:43 AM EDT

A nurse administers a test at a drive-through COVID-19 coronavirus testing station, set up by the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. — On both Saturday and Sunday, the state recorded 16,998 cases. The seven-day rolling average is at 17,628.

Number were released by the CDC and Florida Hospital Association. As of Tuesday afternoon, 11,515 people were in state hospitals with COVID-19, far exceeding last summer's peak.

Florida reported 17,001 new coronavirus cases Monday, according to an update published Tuesday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That brings the state's seven-day rolling average to 17,628.

The report also included numbers from the weekend. On both Saturday and Sunday, the state recorded 16,998 cases.

The CDC website states it publishes these updates Monday through Saturday by 8 p.m., but reports from the weekend were delayed, with no information coming in Monday evening.

A footnote states, "Data will update Monday through Saturday as soon as they are reviewed and verified, oftentimes before 8 p.m. ET. However, daily updates (Mon-Sat) might be delayed due to delays in reported data."

Health News Florida reached out to the CDC for an explanation but have not heard back. The Florida Department of Health shares its data with the CDC, but the state has maintained it won't publish its own daily reports.

Hospitalizations soar

As of Tuesday afternoon, 11,515 people were in state hospitals with COVID-19, far exceeding last summer's peak.

The Florida Hospital Association said 21% of COVID patients are in intensive care units and 13% are on ventilators.

The association says 60% of hospitals are expecting critical staffing shortages in the next week and 23% of hospitals will have to expand patient care into non-care areas within the next week.

“Current hospitalizations and the growth rate continue to be extremely troubling,” said Mary Mayhew, the association's president and CEO.

Mayhew added fewer than 3% of current hospitalizations arrived from nursing homes and long-term care facilities, which she said is evidence the COVID-19 vaccines are effectively protecting vulnerable seniors.