USF College of Public Health

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo took to social media to suggest a link between two basketball players' cardiac arrests and the vaccine. But one expert said public health officials carry a responsibility to be careful about what they say.

The state Department of Health documented nearly 3,000 more cases per week over the two weeks ending July 20 compared with the prior five weeks.

Health care navigators help people sign up for insurance plans available on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Health experts are encouraging people to get the booster to help prevent another holiday surge, but many people have not answered the call.

Jason Salemi with the USF College of Public Health says most of the new cases are reported in the state's five largest counties.

In Florida, 975 people were hospitalized with COVID, down from 2,418 a month earlier, according to data released Monday. Also, 101 COVID patients were in intensive care, compared with 1,319 on Feb. 1.

Pediatric hospitalizations remain high in Florida. Doctors say extending vaccine eligibility to little ones could help protect them in the future.

In Florida, only half of fully vaccinated nursing home residents have gotten the booster for COVID. When you add unvaccinated residents into the mix, just 41% are boosted.

People typically don't report positive results from at-home tests to health officials, so Florida's case totals are likely higher than reported.

Health experts don't anticipate as many people will die during this wave as did during the delta surge this summer.