ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As COVID-19 cases have crept up over the summer, so have hospitalizations throughout Florida.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a total of 1,672 new COVID-19 hospital admissions for the week of July. 30-Aug. 5. That's a 10.7% increase from the week prior.
The entire U.S. saw 10,320 new COVID hospitalizations in the same time frame — a 14.3% increase from the week prior.
While the number of hospital admissions is on the rise in Florida and several other states, it's still considered "low" based on the CDC's categories. According to the most recent data, Florida had 7.78 new hospital admissions per 100,000 people.
- 10 or fewer new hospitalizations per 100,000 people is considered "low"
- 10-19 new hospitalizations per 100,000 people is considered "medium"
- 20 or more new hospitalizations per 100,000 people is considered "high"
This comes as the Tampa Bay area saw a local increase in COVID-19 cases during the month of August.
Data from the Florida Department of Health showed a 29.4% increase (1,144 new cases) in Hillsborough County for the week of July 28-Aug. 3. Florida COVID cases rose by 21% that week with 15,170 new cases reported.
With testing levels still relatively low statewide, new wastewater surveillance data has proved invaluable for tracking the increasing presence of the virus in various Florida counties. According to recent data from BioBot, COVID levels in Pinellas County's water nearly tripled from the beginning of July to the end.
The FDA is expecting a COVID-19 booster to be approved by the fall which would protect against a strain of the virus related to the Omicron variant.
10 Tampa Bay's Andrew Polino contributed to this report.