Florida reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 37,299 new cases. That's down 31.1% from the previous week's tally of 54,109 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Florida ranked 40th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 10.3% from the week before, with 751,187 cases reported. With 6.45% of the country's population, Florida had 4.97% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 14 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Okaloosa County reported 391 cases in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 609 cases. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 34,008 cases.
Florida no longer publishes county-level death data.
Across Florida, cases fell in 66 counties, with the best declines in Miami-Dade County, with 4,825 cases from 7,248 a week earlier; in Hillsborough County, with 2,843 cases from 3,874; and in Polk County, with 1,434 cases from 2,369.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Florida ranked 17th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 66.9% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 64.6%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending Thursday, Florida reported administering another 445,110 vaccine doses, including 130,718 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 318,733 vaccine doses, including 112,519 first doses. In all, Florida reported it has administered 26,780,337 total doses.
Within Florida, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Taylor County with 334 cases per 100,000 per week; Hardee County with 323; and Lake County with 273. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Miami-Dade County, with 4,825 cases; Broward County, with 3,401 cases; and Hillsborough County, with 2,843.
In Florida, 1,719 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 2,340 people were reported dead.
A total of 3,620,106 people in Florida have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 55,299 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 43,683,048 people have tested positive and 701,169 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Oct. 3.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 5,561
- The week before that: 6,922
- Four weeks ago: 13,407
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 92,489
- The week before that: 100,026
- Four weeks ago: 126,488
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County's COVID cases fall 35.8%; Florida cases plummet 31.1%