August 29 update: 48 new positive tests, 2 new deaths

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

According to the state dashboard, Alachua County has a cumulative total of 5,165 people with COVID-19-positive test results, an increase of 48 from yesterday, with an official test positivity rate of 3.41%. The median age of positive tests (overall) in Alachua County is 33. Two new deaths were reported.

The new deaths are an 86-year-old male who first tested positive on August 21 and a 40-year-old male who first tested positive on August 10. Both were hospitalized; one of them was in a long-term care facility.

Of the 48 people whose positive tests came back yesterday, 10 were 65 or older (the chart shows 46; 2 were on previous dates).

The weekly report on emergency room visits for COVID-like illness shows that Alachua County continues downward, definitively meeting the criteria for 14-day declining ED visits:

A total of 33 deaths have been reported in the county, 15 of which were in long-term care. Nine of the deaths were reportedly from one long-term care facility, Parklands Care Center, and 6 were from other long-term care facilities. The 33 deaths were first reported as positive cases on April 9 (4), April 18 (2), April 20, April 21, April 23, May 10, May 12, May 24, June 23, June 29, July 1, July 6 (2), July 7, July 8, July 9 (2), July 13, July 16, July 21, July 22, July 24 (2), July 27, August 2, August 4, August 8, August 10, and August 21.

309 people (total) have been hospitalized, an increase of 6 from yesterday; the total hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 (which includes non-residents) decreased from 97 to 92.

The website with current numbers of institutional care cases in Alachua County wasn’t updated today but shows 172 cases, a decrease of 5 from the previous report. The chart says, “The data is not cumulative but reflects the information available for current residents and staff with cases as of yesterday’s date.” (The top line shows totals for the state.)

The county report shows a cumulative total of 263 cases in long-term care (an increase of 3 from yesterday) and 94 cases in a correctional facility (no change from yesterday).

Available hospital bed capacity in Alachua County is 13.4%, and ICU capacity is 8.12%.

North Florida Regional has 4 ICU beds available (8% of capacity), and Shands has 21 available (8% of capacity). ICU beds are used for all intensive-care patients, not just COVID patients.

The overall number of people (from all counties) hospitalized here for COVID-19 decreased from 97 to 92.

State COVID-19 hospitalizations are dropping dramatically, from 4,745 a week ago to 3,799 today.

The state has 619,003 cases (an increase of 3,197 from yesterday on 27,571 new test results) and 11,105 deaths (an increase of 148 from yesterday, 58 of which were from long-term care facilities).

Changes in the number of deaths were reported on 42 different dates, going back to July 12. The peak is July 23 (193), with the 7-day average peak at July 25 (188). Here are the actual dates of death:

8/28 – 11
8/27 – 12
8/26 – 6
8/25 – 2
8/23 – 2
8/22 – 2
8/21 – 5
8/20 – 4
8/18 – 2
8/17 – 1
8/16 – 2
8/15 – 3
8/14 – 4
8/13 – 5
8/12 – 3
8/11 – 6
8/10 – 4
8/9 – 2
8/8 – 3
8/7 – 9
8/6 – 3
8/5 – 7
8/4 – 3
8/2 – 3
8/1 – 6
7/31 – 5
7/30 – 4
7/29 – 2
7/28 – 5
7/27 – 2
7/25 – 2
7/24 – 1
7/23 – 3
7/22 – 1
7/21 – 1
7/19 – 2
7/18 – 2
7/17 – 1
7/16 – 2
7/14 – 1
7/12 – 1

These are not totals by day; they’re increments added today.

The state also publishes a chart of the percentage of new tests that are positive by day (this chart is for the whole state), and yesterday’s positive rate was 4.97%. (The state charts only count people who test positive for the first time, and they may assign results to a different date than the day the test result came back. Our calculations are just positives/total tests for new results.)

In Alachua County, the official positivity rate yesterday was 3.41%.

The University of Florida reported zero new positives out of 15 new tests on faculty and staff, 1 new positive out of 263 tests on students without symptoms, and 1 new positive out of 28 tests on students with or without symptoms at the Student Health Care Center.

According to the daily report, there are 4,111 cases in Gainesville, 331 in Alachua, 230 in Newberry, 129 in High Springs, 89 in Archer, 87 in Hawthorne, 43 in Micanopy, 20 in Waldo, 14 in Santa Fe, 11 in Tioga, 10 in LaCrosse, 3 in Evinston, 2 in Earleton, 2 in Jonesville, 2 in “University of Fl.”, and 1 in Island Grove. 15 cases are listed in the city of “Missing” in Alachua County, 1 case is erroneously listed in “Wesley Chapel” in Alachua County, and 1 case is in “Unk” in Alachua County. Location data is not available for all cases.

The 7-day moving average of new cases is at 36 through yesterday’s cases. Here is the 7-day average of new cases for the past 14 days.

Testing information

Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing
The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County (DOH-Alachua) is offering drive-thru COVID-19 testing on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. DOH-Alachua is offering COVID-19 testing to Alachua County residents, regardless of symptoms. Residents who want a COVID-19 test are asked to call 352-334-8810 for an appointment. A referral from a doctor is not required. If your insurance covers this, it will be billed (no copay is required). If not, it is free.

COVID-19 Testing Results Phone Line
The Department of Health in Alachua County has set up a dedicated line for residents to call for COVID-19 test results. The phone number is 352-334-8828, and it is staffed Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.