Florida adds 85,000+ COVID cases from New Year’s weekend

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida reported 85,635 new COVID-19 cases from Saturday and Sunday, according to the latest metrics posted Monday by the CDC.

The newest federal data, which comes from the state, shows 45,838 new infections assigned to Jan. 1 and 39,797 from Jan. 2.

It comes after Florida had by far its worst week for new cases to close 2021, reporting 298,455 from Dec. 24-30 as the omicron variant rapidly spreads. That equates to an average of more than 42,000 per day — twice what the state reported at the peak of the delta-driven summer surge in August.

Florida’s new-case positivity rate also soared to 26.5% last week, a sharp increase from 13.9% the week prior and 5.3% the week before that.

Hospitalizations are also rising. The Florida Hospital Association said that nearly 4,500 people were admitted in the state with COVID-19 on Friday.

For information on where you can get a COVID-19 test or vaccine in South Florida, click here.


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