Florida's COVID-19 deaths near 5,500 this year
TALLAHASSEE - The number of Florida resident deaths linked to COVID-19 this year is nearing 5,500, according to data posted on the state Department of Health website.
Meanwhile, cases are the lowest since the pandemic began in 2020.
The data showed 5,484 deaths had been reported, a total that has steadily increased during the year.
As an example, at the end of September, the Department of Health website showed a reported 4,781 deaths. But this year's pace of deaths is lower than during the past four years. In 2020, Florida had a reported 23,349 deaths, according to state data. The number jumped to 39,872 in 2021, before declining to 21,306 in 2022 and 8,442 in 2023.
The largest number of deaths this year, 495, has been reported in Miami-Dade County, followed by 422 in Palm Beach County and 317 in Pinellas County. Broward is at 291.
Since the pandemic, 98,453 deaths have been reported.
Cases reached 8,308,523, including 403,227 this year. These are only infections reported to the state and often doesn't include at-home tests.
In the past week, there were 1,747 cases, the lowest since 358 on March 3, 2020 at the start of the pandemic when few tests are available. It was 2,260 the week before. The high this year was 23,772 on July 19 and the most ever 428,380 on Jan. 7, 2022.
Weekly cases are adjusted as more data come in.
