Coronavirus Tampa Bay

The state reported 888 new deaths from COVID-19 in the week ending Thursday. That comes after four straight weeks where new deaths surpassed 1,100.

Meanwhile, coronavirus cases in the greater Tampa Bay region fell by about half compared to a week earlier as the omicron surge continued its steep decline.

In Pasco County, there were 649 teacher vacancies on Monday, with most related to COVID-19. It has forced the district to double up classes, or pull in staff members with teaching backgrounds to fill in.

After losing two patients, one after another, Alicia Sgroi wrote an essay about the experience in the American Journal of Nursing. Her essay is titled "What a Time to Become a Nurse."

The state reported 31,758 new cases Friday and 32,850 Saturday, a 320% surge in weekly numbers. The surge has come with a rush to get tested ahead of the holidays, and that trend continued after Christmas.

The research points to a range of causes of death that can strike in the year after a patient is hospitalized.

Said one health official: “Now that it has a foothold in Florida, it's just a matter of time before it becomes dominant. So it’s very concerning.”

Here is a summary of the Florida Department of Health’s Weekly Situation Report for May 28, 2021, through June 3, 2021.

The positivity rate remained below 5% for a seventh consecutive day, while hospitalizations were at their lowest level since November.

The state reported a positivity rate of 4.41, the sixth consecutive day that mark was below 5%, along with 3,319 new cases and 57 deaths.

A total of 36,000 Florida residents have died due to complications from COVID-19 as of Friday, state health officials reported.

If the positivity rate consistently stays below 5%, it could indicate that community transmission of the virus is under control. It's still too soon to tell in Florida.