Florida adds nearly 11,000 COVID cases, but hospitalizations remain low

Florida added 10,892 new cases of coronavirus over the last week and the death toll related to illness now stands at 61,701, up 153 from a week earlier.

State hospitals had 1,319 inpatients with COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported Thursday. That was an increase of 91 from Monday. There were 239 in intensive care, the same amount reported Monday.

Hospitalization numbers remain far below that reported during the summer delta surge.

The state health department reported 101,032 more Floridians were vaccinated in the week ending Thursday. That includes almost 21,000 children age 5 to 11 iwho received a first dose of the vaccine.

More than 158,000 Florida children — about 9 percent of the almost 1.7 million 5-to 11-year-olds in the state — have received a shot since the Pfizer vaccine was approved for them in November.

The following is a summary from Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2021.

Cases: 3,697,523 positive cases, an increase of 10,892 from the previous week.

Vaccinations: 14,418,089 Florida residents have been vaccinated, a weekly increase of 101,032. In all, 69% of Florida’s population 5 and older has received at least one dose of vaccine.

Positivity Rate: The positivity rate for new cases was 2.5%, a 10th of a point more than the previous week, but the same as the week before that.

Deaths: A total of 61,701 Florida residents have died from a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, an increase of 153 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.

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