May 17 update: 3 new cases, 0.5% positive tests
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
According to the state dashboard, Alachua County has 332 COVID-19-positive cases, an increase of 3 from yesterday.
Seven deaths have been reported in the county. Six of the seven deaths were from long-term care facilities. The 7 deaths were first reported as positive cases on April 9 (2), April 18 (2), April 20, April 21, and April 23.
64 people have been hospitalized–no increase in the past three days. Hospitalizations may include people who don’t live in Alachua County.
The website with current numbers of long-term care cases in Alachua County shows 65 cases in these facilities–no change in the past two days. 47 of those cases are at Parklands Care Center. 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.)
Available bed capacity in Alachua County is 27.05%.
The state has 45,588 cases (an increase of 777 from yesterday on 29,608 new test results, a massive number of tests) and 1,973 deaths (an increase of 9 from yesterday, 8 of which were from long-term care facilities). A low number of deaths on weekends has been the pattern recently, possibly because of delays in reporting.
The state is also now publishing 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 4.26%.
Dade County has 35% of the state’s cases. Broward has 14%; Palm Beach 10%; Orange has 4%, and Hillsborough has 4%. Alachua County represents about 1.2% of the state’s population and 0.73% of the state’s cases.
10,763 test results have come back so far in Alachua County (up 553 from yesterday), and 10,417 tests have come back negative, so 96.8% of the tests so far have been negative. Only 3.1% of the local tests have come back positive so far, and 3 of yesterday’s tests came back positive, for a positive rate of 0.5%.
Here is the official graph for Alachua County:
Also, the percentage of emergency department visits for cough, fever, and shortness of breaths is near zero:
According to the daily report, there are 262 cases in Gainesville, 14 in Alachua, 13 in Newberry, 8 in Hawthorne, 5 in High Springs, 4 in Waldo, 4 in Tioga, 3 in Micanopy, 1 in LaCrosse, 1 in Santa Fe, and 1 in Archer. 1 case is listed in the city of “Missing” in Alachua County. Location data is not available for all cases.
The 7-day moving average of new cases is at 3.1. Here is the 7-day average of new cases for the past 14 days, with a trendline. Keep in mind that this line could start moving up if we continue to test high numbers of people, but the important number is the percentage of positive test results.
Cases by zip code
32044: 0 cases
32601: 59 cases
32603: <5 cases
32605: 28 cases
32606: 15 cases
32607: 34 cases
32608: 53 cases
32609: 30 cases
32610: <5 cases
32611: 0 cases
32615: 14 cases
32618: <5 cases
32622: 0 cases
32631: 0 cases
32640: 8 cases
32641: 24 cases
32643: 5 cases
32653: 15 cases
32666: 0 cases
32667: <5 cases
32669: 17 cases
32694: <5 cases
Testing information
Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing
The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County (DOH-Alachua) is offering evening drive-thru COVID-19 testing on Wednesdays, from 4-7 p.m. This is in addition to their regular testing schedule. 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 Available in East Gainesville
The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County, in partnership with COVID-19 Student Service Corp, is offering walk-up and drive-up testing in east Gainesville. Neither symptoms nor a doctor’s referral are required. The tests are being administered Thursday, May 21 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at GTEC (2153 SE Hawthorne Rd., Suite 101).
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.