HURRICANE-RELATED COVID TESTING CLOSURES CUTS NEW INFECTION COUNT, BUT NUMBERS STILL SIGNIFICANT
PALM BEACH COUNTY ADDS 12 DEATHS
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Manty testing sites statewide were closed Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday due to Hurricane Isaias, but that didn’t stop a still significant number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths from being reported.
The Florida Department of Health says 4,866 new COVID-19 cases were logged on Sunday through 11:59 p.m. Another 73 deaths were recorded statewide. The positivity rate of these tests — according to the state — is 9.09 percent. Even with state facilities closed, tests sent by doctors to out of state labs continued to be processed.
In Palm Beach County — where most testing sites have been closed since Thursday and won’t reopen until Tuesday — 312 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Sunday through 11:59 p.m. The county added 12 new deaths. The positivity rate, according to the State of Florida, is 9.8 percent for Sunday’s reporting in Palm Beach County. That’s a significant increase from 8.2 percent the day before.
Palm Beach County itself is now reporting a “cumulative” positivity rate of 13.01 percent. That positivity rate considers every test recorded since the pandemic began. If you are unsure which number to consider, you’re not alone. There is significant confusion as to why the Palm Beach County Operations Center is reporting a “cumulative” number while the state is reporting a “daily” number.
There are now at least 491,884 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Florida with 7,157 deaths.
In Palm Beach County, 34,550 people have tested positive for COVID-19. The death count is at least 845.
Did you happen to notice that yesterday, non-resident deaths on the state Covid-19 dashboard were 122, and today, there are 79? Of course, this change was made with zero explanation from the state. All those people are suddenly alive now? Or became residents after death? Or were determined to not really be non-residents but somehow faking it at the time of death? It is hard to trust this state’s government and what they are telling us about Covid when they are pulling ridiculous stunts like this.