COVID-19-related hospitalizations in Florida are back under 3,000 after a slight uptick earlier this week.
The number of people currently hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 dropped by 57 to 2,950 Thursday. Earlier this week, it hit 2,868 — the lowest level since early November.
The Florida Department of Health also reported 5,093 people tested positive for the coronavirus since Wednesday, including 914 in the greater Tampa Bay region.
The state recorded the deaths of 99 more people due to COVID-19 related complications — 15 of those occurred in the region.
While more cases were reported on Thursday than most other days this week, the percent positivity for new tests remained about the same as more tests were returned as well.
The state’s positivity rate on 129,019 tests returned Wednesday was 5.56% — almost unchanged from a day earlier.
More than 4.5 million people have received a coronavirus vaccine in the state, with more than half considered fully vaccinated, meaning they either had both doses of a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
State Totals (as of Thursday, March 18)
- Positive Tests – 1,994,117
- Deaths – 33,219
Daily Changes:
- State: Positive Tests – 5,093 | Deaths – 99
- Greater Tampa Bay region: Positive Tests – 914 | Deaths – 15
Daily Testing (statewide):
- Tests Received – 129,019 | Positivity Rate – 5.56%
ABOUT THE DATA: The Florida Department of Health produces a daily update around 11 a.m. with information about COVID-19 cases and deaths that were reported over the previous 24 hours. Cases and deaths in the report may have happened days or weeks earlier, according to state officials. The state separately tracks cases and deaths that occurred on specific days on its dashboard and those totals are frequently updated.
Florida COVID-19 daily total of positive tests/deaths for the last two weeks:
- March 18: 5,093/99
- March 17: 4,599/59
- March 16: 4,791/102
- March 15: 2,826/99
- March 14: 3,699/31
- March 13: 5,244/85
- March 12: 5,214/105
- March 11: 5,065/96
- March 10: 4,853/62
- March 9: 4,426/132
- March 8: 3,312/83
- March 7: 4,098/66
- March 6: 4,690/107
- March 5: 5,975/138
