The number of new coronavirus cases in Florida continues spiking to levels not seen since the height of the pandemic last summer.
According to data posted Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida reported 17,093 new COVID-19 cases and 75 deaths Thursday.
It's the second straight day that the state exceeded 17,000 cases. It reported 17,589 cases on Wednesday, the highest total since January and among the highest daily case counts during the pandemic, according to CDC data.
Florida continued to account for about one in five COVID-19 infections in the nation.
For the week ending Thursday, the Florida Department of Health reported 110,477 people tested positive for the coronavirus — an almost sevenfold increase from just four weeks ago.
The state's total case count is now at just under 2.6 million.
In the greater Tampa Bay region, every county saw weekly case reports at or near the highest levels of the pandemic.
The positivity rate for new cases statewide rose to 18.1%, with Hillsborough, Polk, Pasco, and Hernando counties posting rates over 20%.
In comparison, Florida saw just under 16,000 new cases and a statewide positivity rate of 5.2% for the week of June 25-July 2.
The surge in cases has come as the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus has spread across Florida and the country.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday contended that the surge is part of a “seasonal” wave that is happening in Sun Belt states and said it would soon subside.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to run against DeSantis in 2022, countered that the rising case counts show that the state is headed in a “troubling direction.”
Each week, the Florida Department of Health will provide updates on the number of coronavirus cases, changes in positivity rate, vaccinations, and other statewide and county-by-county data.
The following is a summary from July 23-29, 2021.
UPDATE: Weekly Situation Report From The Florida Department Of Health
Cases: 2,590,699 positive cases, an increase of 110,477 from the previous week.
Vaccinations: 11,757,156 Florida residents have been vaccinated, a weekly increase of 248,546 — the most since early June. In all, 61% of Florida’s population over the age of 12 has received at least one dose of vaccine.
Positivity Rate: The positivity rate for new cases was 18.1%, up from 15.1% the previous week.
Deaths: A total of 39,079 Florida residents have died from a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, an increase of 409 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.)
County Breakdown:
(July 23-29, 2021)
| County | Cases (Increase) | Positivity (prv.) | # Vaccinations | % Vaccinated (prv.) | |
| Hillsborough | 162,939 (7,124) | 20.5% (18.1%) | 728,413 | 57% (55%) | |
| Pinellas | 89,699 (4,164) | 16.7% (14.1%) | 528,480 | 59% (58%) | |
| Polk | 81,132 (4,100) | 22.3% (18.6%) | 324,926 | 53% (51%) | |
| Sarasota | 36,675 (1,412) | 13.3% (11.9%) | 278,099 | 69% (68%) | |
| Manatee | 43,140 (1,552) | 17.5% (15.4%) | 210,615 | 59% (58%) | |
| Pasco | 49,233 (2,883) | 22.5% (18.5%) | 270,605 | 57% (55%) | |
| Hernando | 17,145 (1,417) | 22.5% (17.8%) | 86,770 | 50% (49%) |
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.
Information from the News Service of Florida was used in this report.
