New data released by the Florida Department of Health shows the state recorded another 12,444 new cases of COVID-19 on July 23.
That brings the total number of cases reported statewide to 402,312 since the pandemic began. According to the daily report released Friday morning, 42 is the median age of Floridians testing positive for coronavirus.
The state on Friday also reported another 135 Floridians and one non-resident had died after testing positive for the virus, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the latest report to 5,653 Florida residents and 115 non-residents since the pandemic began.
That does not necessarily mean all those people died on July 23 but rather the state learned of their deaths and added to the report that day. The state's daily line-by-line report, which you can read here, lists coronavirus deaths by the date the people tested positive for the virus, not the date they passed.
In contrast, our chart below shows deaths by the date on which they were added to Florida's report.
When it comes to testing, Friday's report showed 106,280 test results were returned from labs on July 23. Of those tests, 13.31 percent were positive for coronavirus.
As for hospitalizations, 9,281 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as their primary diagnosis statewide, as of 10:15 a.m. Friday. And, 1,859 of them were in the Tampa Bay area.
A total of 23,225 people in Florida have been hospitalized at some point during the coronavirus pandemic.
Here's a breakdown of the new coronavirus cases reported to the state by day:
- June 21: 2,926
- June 22: 3,286
- June 23: 5,508
- June 24: 5,004
- June 25: 8,942
- June 26: 9,585
- June 27: 8,530
- June 28: 5,266
- June 29: 6,093
- June 30: 6,563
- July 1: 10,109
- July 2: 9,488
- July 3: 11,458
- July 4: 10,059
- July 5: 6,336
- July 6: 7,347
- July 7: 9,989
- July 8: 8,935
- July 9: 11,433
- July 10: 10,360
- July 11: 15,300
- July 12: 12,624
- July 13: 9,194
- July 14: 10,181
- July 15: 13,965
- July 16: 11,466
- July 17: 10,328
- July 18: 12,478
- July 19: 10,347
- July 20: 9,440
- July 21: 9,785
- July 22: 10,249
- July 23: 12,444
Breaking down the numbers
There has yet to be a day in July where the number of newly-confirmed cases was fewer than 6,000. In fact, the last time that happened was on June 28.
The highest single-day case number Florida has reported so far is 15,300 for July 11.
The World Health Organization and infectious disease experts around the globe have recommended a positivity rate of 5 percent or lower for a 14-day span in order to be comfortable reopening.
Florida has not seen a positivity rate at 5 percent since the beginning of June. For more than a month, the state has reported positivity rates at double and even triple that recommended percentage.
Florida remains in Phase Two of reopening, which began June 5.
Hospitalizations and ICU bed availability
Cases are climbing, but what about hospitalizations?
Tracking hospitalizations got easier on July 10 when the Agency for Health Care Administration began publishing a spreadsheet with the number of people currently checked-in for coronavirus-related complications in Florida. The data only includes people whose "primary diagnosis" was COVID-19.
As of 10:15 a.m. Friday, 9,281 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as their primary diagnosis statewide, and 1,859 of them were in the Tampa Bay area. Those numbers are frequently updated, and you can click here for the most recent data, which is also broken down by county.
Since the pandemic began, the state confirms a total of 23,225 residents were hospitalized at some point during their illness.
The Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) also updates total hospital bed and ICU availability by county.
Click here for a breakdown of adult and pediatric ICU bed availability by county. You can also check ICU availability by the hospital.
Hospitalizations around Tampa Bay and total staffed hospital bed capacity status:
**Data as of 10:15 a.m. on July 24
Citrus:
- 27 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 71 of 296 total staffed hospital beds are available
DeSoto:
- 3 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 27 of 55 total staffed hospital beds are available
Hardee:
- 0 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 0 of 25 total staffed hospital beds are available
Hernando:
- 88 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 182 of 734 total staffed hospital beds are available
Highlands:
- 57 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 55 of 268 total staffed hospital beds are available
Hillsborough:
- 587 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 575 of 3,832 total staffed hospital beds are available
Manatee:
- 123 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 153 of 792 total staffed hospital beds are available
Pasco:
- 126 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 266 of 1,378 total staffed hospital beds are available
Pinellas:
- 421 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 559 of 2,939 total staffed hospital beds are available
Polk:
- 281 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 324 of 1,673 total staffed hospital beds are available
Sarasota:
- 146 COVID-19 hospitalizations
- 225 of 1,271 total staffed hospital beds are available