FLORIDA, USA — COVID-19 cases showed no signs of slowing in Florida over the past month, with levels peaking heading into Labor Day weekend throughout the state.
According to the latest weekly data ending Aug. 31 from the Florida Department of Health, Hillsborough County saw a 27.6 percent increase in new cases (1,552 new cases).
Overall, the state of Florida reported 23,960 new cases in the week leading up to Labor Day. That's a 22.8 percent increase in new cases over the week before.
COVID testing levels have been relatively low throughout Florida, but wastewater surveillance data gathered throughout the month has shown a sharp increase in the virus presence throughout several counties.
According to recent data from BioBot, virus levels in Pinellas County underwent a slight dip at the beginning of August before surging to a yearlong high of 962 copies of the virus per mL of wastewater. Monroe County followed a similar trajectory: starting August with a major dip from a late-July peak of 2,501 copies/mL before rising again and reaching 1,385 copies/mL.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalizations and deaths from the virus saw a nationwide increase throughout the month. The most recent week-to-week numbers put hospitalizations at an 18.8 percent increase (15,067 nationwide hospitalizations) and deaths remaining low with 21 counted in Florida and death rates remaining low across the U.S.
While cases continue to steadily rise, immunity from vaccinations and exposure seems to be keeping the number of severe cases relatively low. The CDC expects an updated COVID-19 booster vaccine, which is due sometime in September, to be effective against the latest Omicron variants of the virus.