Florida COVID-19 deaths rise to 4,781 this year
The number of Florida residents whose deaths have been linked to COVID-19 this year continues to climb, with new state data showing the total heading toward 5,000.
The data posted on the Florida Department of Health's website Monday showed 4,781 reported deaths, up 374 from 4,407 reported two weeks earlier.
The most reported deaths, 455, had been in Miami-Dade County, followed by Palm Beach County with 368 and Pinellas County, with 275. Broward was listed at 244.
This year's pace of deaths is lower than during the past four years. The pandemic hit the state in 2020. That year, Florida had a reported 23,349 deaths, according to state data. The number jumped to 39,872 in 2021, before declining to 21,305 in 2022 and 8,439 in 2023.
In all, 97,746 deaths have been reported.
Weekly cases were down to 5,212, the lowest since 4,616 on May 24. Infections hit 23,772 on July, 19, a fraction of the record 428,380 on Jan. 7, 2022. These are only cases reported to the Florida of Health with at-home tests often not counted.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer tracks cases.
A total of 499 deaths were reported nationwide in the past week. The total since the pandemic is 1,204,697.