Florida adds 397,114 COVID cases, 184 deaths in past week

Florida reported 397,114 coronavirus cases over the seven-day period from Dec. 31 to Jan. 6, an average of about 56,700 infections per day. That’s a 33-percent increase in weekly infections from the previous report.

The seven-day average of omicron variant infections is more than double the 25,000 daily average the delta wave hit this past summer. Florida’s first omicron case was detected on Dec. 6, when daily cases were less than 2,000 infections per day on average.

The latest tally brings the total number of the state’s COVID-19 cases up to 4,562,954 since the pandemic’s first two cases in Florida were reported 22 months ago on March 1, 2020.

The state added 184 deaths since the previous report. This brings the total statewide number of pandemic deaths to 62,688.

Most of these occurred more than a week ago and were recorded by the state in the past seven days. It can take officials two weeks or more to confirm COVID-19-related deaths, and the holidays may delay reporting.

The Florida Department of Health announced in June that it no longer would release daily COVID-19 data. Instead, it now releases one report every Friday — but it continues to withhold other information that previously was publicly available.

As of June 4, the state no longer reports non-resident vaccinations, coronavirus cases and fatalities. The state has repeatedly declined requests to provide non-resident data to the Tampa Bay Times.

Despite repeated requests from the Times, the state does not report the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination status.

VACCINATIONS: Florida administered 125,196 doses of vaccine in the past week, including 79,151 first-time vaccinations. Over 5.8 million Floridians ages 5 and up remain unvaccinated.

Vaccinations for children ages 5-11 numbered 18,465 in the past week. That’s less than half the weekly pediatric vaccinations in the first full week they were available. In all, 16 percent of children in the 5-11 age group have had at least one vaccine shot.

As of Thursday, 72 percent of Florida residents ages 5 and up have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the state.

Still, 32 percent of Florida’s total population remains unvaccinated, including children 4 and under, who are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. That is the next age group that may be obtaining approval in the coming weeks.

Vaccination rates are highest among Florida’s older adults. About 91 percent of those age 65 and up have been vaccinated, and 89 percent of those ages 60-64 are vaccinated.

Children and young adults remain the least-vaccinated age groups. In Florida, ages 5 to 11 are 16 percent vaccinated, 12 to 19 are at 59 percent , ages 20 to 29 are at 60 percent and ages 30 to 39 are 70 percent vaccinated.

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

In Manatee and Pinellas counties, 68 percent of eligible residents 5 and up have been vaccinated; that number is 67 percent in Hillsborough; in Pasco, 66 percent; in Polk, 64 percent; and 60 percent in Citrus and Hernando.

BOOSTER SHOTS: Florida administered 169,722 booster doses, down more than 27,000 shots from the prior week. Booster shots are available to all those age 12 and up who received either their first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two months ago or their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least five months ago.

POSITIVITY: Florida’s positivity rate increased to 31.2 percent in the past week, up from 26.5 percent the week before. Positivity rates were highest among young adults, with those age 20-29 testing positive 35.8 percent of the time. Positivity was at 34.8 percent for those age 30-39 and 34.1 percent for those age 40-49.

According to the World Health Organization, states should maintain a positivity rate of 5 percent or less for at least two weeks before fully reopening. A positivity rate of 5 percent or less indicates testing is widespread enough to capture mild, asymptomatic and negative cases.

Positivity rates around the Tampa Bay area were 33.8 percent in Polk, 30.8 percent in Hillsborough, 28.4 percent in Pasco, 25.8 percent in Manatee, 25.6 percent in Pinellas, 25.3 percent in Hernando, and 18 percent in Citrus.

HOSPITALIZATIONS: Florida had 8,548 confirmed COVID-19 patients in hospitals as of Friday, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Tampa Bay area saw 1,906 COVID-19-related hospital admissions from Dec. 28 to Jan. 5, the latest data available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s nearly four times the number from the week before. Hillsborough County hospitals had 783 admissions, Pinellas had 458; Pasco, 156; Manatee, 56; Polk, 355; Hernando, 79; and Citrus, 19.

LOCAL NUMBERS: Tampa Bay added 59,265 cases in the past week, bringing the area total up to 820,306 cases.

As of Thursday’s count, Hillsborough added 22,135 new cases; Polk had 12,535; Pinellas had 11,232; Pasco had 6,238; Manatee had 4,567; Hernando had 1,606; and Citrus had 952.

The CDC reported that the Tampa Bay area counted 15 deaths from Dec. 28 to Jan. 5: Pasco saw 5 deaths; Polk saw 3; Pinellas and Manatee had 2; and Citrus, Hernando and Hillsborough each had 1.

• • •

How to get tested

Tampa Bay: The Times can help you find the free, public COVID-19 testing sites in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties.

Florida: The Department of Health has a website that lists testing sites in the state. Some information may be out of date.

The U.S.: The Department of Health and Human Services has a website that can help you find a testing site.

• • •

How to get vaccinated

The COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 and up and booster shots for eligible recipients are being administered at doctors’ offices, clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores and public vaccination sites. Many allow appointments to be booked online. Here’s how to find a site near you:

Find a site: Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccination sites in your ZIP code.

More help: Call the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline.

Phone: 800-232-0233. Help is available in English, Spanish and other languages.

TTY: 888-720-7489

Disability Information and Access Line: Call 888-677-1199 or email DIAL@n4a.org.

• • •

More coronavirus coverage

KIDS AND VACCINES: Got questions about vaccinating your kid? Here are some answers.

BOOSTER SHOTS: Confused about which COVID booster to get? This guide will help.

BOOSTER QUESTIONS: Are there side effects? Why do I need it? Here’s the answers to your questions.

PROTECTING SENIORS: Here’s how seniors can stay safe from the virus.

GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information.

We’re working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription.