Florida adds 3,815 coronavirus cases, 88 deaths Friday

Florida added 88 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths since the pandemic began to 11,099, according to the Florida Department of Health.

This addition was the lowest number reported by state health officials on a Friday since July 10, when the state added 92 deaths. After that, every Friday had triple-digit deaths, often more than 200 in a day, data shows.

The weekly death average dropped slightly to about 114 people announced dead a day.

Florida added 3,815 coronavirus infections Friday, and the total number of cases statewide rose to 615,806 infections. The Tampa Bay region logged 499 coronavirus cases and 12 deaths Friday.

The number of cases that led to hospitalization increased among Florida residents by 311 admissions.

Hospitalizations: About 4,200 people were in the hospital across Florida with a COVID-19 diagnosis on Friday according to the Agency for Health Care Administration. The majority of those patients were from in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, noted hot spots of activity for the virus.

In Tampa Bay, about 600 people were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of coronavirus.

About 24 percent of Florida’s hospital beds and 21 percent of intensive care unit beds were available. In Tampa Bay, about 22 percent of hospital beds and 16 percent of ICU beds were open.

Positivity: The positivity rate, or the percentage of positive results among all tests processed, can be used to gauge whether there’s enough testing to capture mild and asymptomatic cases within a community. In the past month, testing has largely decreased across Florida.

The state’s average weekly positivity rate was about 13 percent, according to Johns Hopkins University. The Florida Department of Health calculates the positivity rate differently by counting negative retests but not positive retests. Based on their metrics, the average weekly positivity is 6 percent.

Local numbers: Tampa Bay added 499 coronavirus cases and 12 deaths Friday.

Four deaths were reported in both Pinellas and Polk counties, and one death was reported each in Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee and Pasco counties.

The positivity rate remained consistent, with Polk, Hillsborough and Hernando counties leading the area with an average weekly rate of 6 percent. Manatee and Pasco counties had a 4 percent positivity rate, while Pinellas had 3 percent positivity for the week.

As of the latest counts, Hillsborough has 36,574 cases and 546 deaths; Pinellas has 19,740 cases and 647 deaths; Polk has 16,692 cases and 431 deaths; Manatee has 10,340 cases and 257 deaths; Pasco has 7,949 cases and 174 deaths; Hernando has 2,516 cases and 80 deaths; Citrus has 2,054 cases and 55 deaths.

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