Fired deputy charged with crimes had troubled past in law enforcementNew resolution could help fend off FEMA’s threat to pull flood insurance discount
FILE – In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 file photo, pharmacy technician Sochi Evans fills a syringe with a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Texas Southern University in Houston. Coronavirus cases are continuing to decline in the U.S. after a winter surge. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in the country dropped below 100,000 on Friday, Feb. 12 for the first time since November 4. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File) As of 2:30 p.m. Friday, there have been 1,898,223 positive cases of the coronavirus recorded in the state. The case count includes 1,863,453 Florida residents and 34,770 non-Florida residents. There are 30,624 Florida resident deaths reported, 538 non-resident deaths, and 79,021 hospitalizations at some point during illness, according to the Florida Department of Health. According to the CDC, as of Feb. 26, Florida has recorded 500 positive cases of the UK COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 and 1 case of the Brazil variant P.1. The Florida Department of Health and the CDC began investigating the evidence of the first known case of the UK COVID-19 variant on Dec. 31, 2020. *Numbers are released by the DOH every afternoon. STATEWIDE NUMBERS Total number of recorded cases: 1,898,223 (up from 1,892,301) Florida resident deaths: 30,624 (up from 30,478) Non-resident deaths: 538 (down from 540) Total deaths in state (Fla./non-Fla. residents combined): 31,162 (up from 31,018) 5,922 new total new cases reported Friday 146 new resident deaths reported Friday 0 new non-resident deaths reported Friday Percent positive for new cases in Fla. residents: 5.18% This percent is the number of people who test PCR- or antigen-positive for the first time divided by all the people tested that day, excluding people who have previously tested positive. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA NUMBERS Total recorded cases in SWFL: 107,215 (up from 106,860) Deaths: 1,850 (up from 1,840) 355 total new cases reported Friday 10 new deaths reported Friday Lee County: 57,469 cases (up from 57,275) – 872 deaths (3 new) Collier County: 30,144 (up from 30,037) – 459 deaths (7 new) Charlotte County: 10,642 (up from 10,622) – 359 deaths DeSoto County: 3,769 (up from 3,747) – 73 deaths Glades County: 902 (up from 900) – 15 deaths Hendry County: 4,289 (up from 4,279) – 72 deaths Click HERE* for a case-by-case breakdown – updated daily. *If not linked, the final report has not yet been made available. TESTING DATA Effective Oct. 27, the Florida Department of Health ceased releasing data showing overall testing numbers. Their statement: “The Florida Department of Health is making adjustments to the COVID-19 dashboard and daily report to provide clear, accurate information for Florida families. Moving forward, the daily report will focus on the number of tests reported to the state by day and the corresponding positivity rate by day. The previously reported cumulative number did not reflect the current status of the pandemic in Florida. This change is in line with the CDC recommendation that calculation of percent positivity [is] applied consistently and with clear communication, will allow public health officials to follow magnitude and trends effectively, and the trends will be useful for local public health decision making.” RESOURCES VACCINE IN SWFL: COVID-19 vaccine schedules and information for SWFL VACCINE IN FLORIDA: State of Florida’s COVID-19 vaccine reports NOW HIRING: SWFL companies adding jobs FOOD PANTRIES: Harry Chapin mobile food pantry schedule, week of Feb. 22 REPORT COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS/TEST: International self-reporting system IF YOU FEEL SICK: The Florida Department of Health has a 24-hour COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours. LINK: Florida Department of Health COVID-19 updates *The map is best viewed on a desktop computer. If you don’t see the map above tap HERE for a fullscreen version.