Just as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Florida, people across the state are starting to get the message health leaders have been trying to get out - it's time to get vaccinated.
The state has seen a rise in the number of people receiving their first dose of the COVID vaccine, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
Since mid-July, the state has been on an upward trajectory in both first and second doses. It's a stark contrast from the steep drop which happened in April.
At that time, the state's 7-day moving average for first doses was more than 144,000. Come July, and that average dropped to just under 20,000. As of Thursday, the 7-day moving average has more than doubled to around 45,000.
This comes as doctors and nurses across Florida continue to see an increased number of people dealing with COVID-19.
The number of total hospitalizations with confirmed cases of COVID-19 climbed to a pandemic high of 12,516 patients as of Aug. 5, according to the Florida Hospital Association.
The ongoing COVID-19 surge in Florida continues to rival the peak last seen toward the beginning of the year — a period that had been considered the worst of the pandemic.
Florida reported 20,133 new cases of COVID-19 for Aug. 4 to the CDC. There were 84 additional deaths reported, as well.