Florida Hospital Association says this summer's delta COVID surge is 'over'

Saying Florida's summer delta surge is "over," the Florida Hospital Association reported Friday that hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have dropped below levels from the same date a year ago.

According to data from the FHA and federal Department of Health and Human Services, Friday's hospitalization numbers stood at 2,251, compared to 2,327 on Oct. 22, 2020.

The state reached its peak of 17,121 on Aug. 23, 2021.

FHA president Mary Mayhew says COVID remains a concern in Florida, saying, “getting vaccinated remains the best protection against serious illness, possible hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.”

"While COVID-19 remains a concern, the summer Delta surge in Florida is over,” she said in a news release. “Our state’s recovery would not have been possible without the tremendous work of our doctors, nurses, and hospital staff who worked around the clock. We would also like to recognize Governor Ron DeSantis for making monoclonal antibody treatments available to reduce the severity of the illness, keeping thousands of additional COVID-19 patients out of the hospital, and ultimately saving lives."

Mayhew, who previously served as secretary of the state's Agency for Health Care Administration, says the FHA will stop posting daily updates to social media as the numbers continue to improve.

The positivity rate for new cases in Florida last week dropped to 3.4%, the lowest it's been since late June.

The Florida Department of Health added 15,314 cases to the state's totals for the seven days ending Thursday, according to its latest weekly report.

According to the report, 58,803 Floridians have died from COVID-19 related complications, an increase of 944 for the week. It's the first time that number has fallen below 1,000 since Aug. 5-11.

The state recorded 60,287 more COVID-19 vaccinations were administered this past week.

Each week, the Florida Department of Health provides updates on the number of coronavirus cases, changes in positivity rate, vaccinations, and other statewide and county-by-county data.

The following is a summary from Oct. 15 - Oct. 21, 2021.

Cases: 3,635,126 positive cases, an increase of 15,314 from the previous week.

Vaccinations: 13,865,300 Florida residents have been vaccinated, a weekly increase of 60,287. In all, 73% of Florida’s population over the age of 12 has received at least one dose of vaccine.

Positivity Rate: The positivity rate for new cases was 3.4%, down from 3.8% the previous week.

Deaths: A total of 58,803 Florida residents have died from a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, an increase of 944 from the previous week.

(NOTE: Cases and deaths in the report may have happened days or weeks earlier, according to state officials. The state is also now only counting deaths involving Florida residents.)

ABOUT THE DATA: As of June 4, 2021, the Florida Department of Health no longer offers daily updates on coronavirus data, and instead issues a county-by-county and statewide weekly breakdown on about COVID-19 cases, deaths, and other information. Cases and deaths in the report may have happened days or weeks earlier, according to state officials. The state is also now only counting deaths involving Florida residents.

WMFE's Danielle Prieur contributed to this report.

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