Florida breaks record with 31,758 new COVID cases - WPLG Local 10

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida reported nearly 32,000 new COVID-19 cases to the CDC from Thursday, a new single-day high for the pandemic.

The 31,758 cases attributed to the past day in the latest federal data surpasses the previous record of 27,669 from Aug. 26.

The state came just shy of that when 26,811 new cases were reported from Wednesday.

The spike from the contagious omicron variant has been sudden. Florida had for weeks been reporting fewer than 2,000 new cases per day from late October through early December.

Long lines have overwhelmed some coronavirus testing sites across South Florida on recent days, as people hurry to find out if they are infected before holiday gatherings.

The increased testing demand is a factor in revealing more cases, though positivity rates are also shooting up.

According to the Florida health department’s weekly COVID-19 data report, released Friday evening, the statewide new-case positivity rate rose to 13.8% this week, up from 5.3% last week and 2.6% the week before.

COVID-19 infections and the statewide positivity rate soared in Florida this week. (Florida Department of Health)

Positivity rates were particularly high in South Florida:

• Broward: 19.1%
• Miami-Dade: 16.6%
• Palm Beach: 17.1%
• Monroe: 15.3%

The state report shows 125,201 new infections reported from Dec. 17-23, a 324% increase compared to last week’s 29,519. (See the full report at the bottom of this page.)

A University of Florida study predicts that this latest surge will peak in February, and that there could be up to 150,000 infections per day in the state, with many of those unreported.

Florida averaged over 21,000 new cases per day at the peak of the summer surge in August. That spike was fueled by the delta variant.

Early research shows that the omicron variant may not hospitalize as many people, and it is likely to help that more are now vaccinated and have gotten booster shots.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t risk for some.

“This omicron variant does not appear to be as deadly as the delta variant. It doesn’t mean, however, that it can’t actually cause severe illness in some patients,” Jackson North Chief Medical Officer Dr. O’Neil Pyke told Local 10 News.

Officials are urging residents to get vaccines and boosters, and to avoid gathering with people who aren’t protected, particularly indoors.

The state’s report shows that 111,990 people got their first vaccine in Florida this past week.

Florida has confirmed at least 3,864,288 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and 62,347 deaths, according to the CDC.

For information on where you can get a COVID-19 test or vaccine in South Florida, click here.

See Florida’s weekly COVID-19 report below:

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Florida breaks record with 31,758 new COVID cases - WPLG Local 10
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