September 7 update: 51 new positive tests, no new deaths

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

According to the state dashboard, Alachua County has a cumulative total of 5,633 people with COVID-19-positive test results, an increase of 51 from yesterday, with an official test positivity rate of 6.82%. The median age of positive tests (overall) in Alachua County has dropped to 32 after 3 straight days of high numbers of positive results in the 15-24 age group. No new deaths were reported.

Although a lot of positive tests are being reported for college-aged people, there have been no new hospitalizations in that age group since the university resumed classes on August 31.

Of the people whose positive tests came back yesterday, 5 were 65 or older, and 24 were college-aged.

Alachua County Public Schools now has a dashboard for positive tests in the school system. The section for active cases shows 1 student each at Idylwild Elementary, Irby Elementary, Ft. Clarke Middle, and Oakview Middle, and 1 staff each at Howard Bishop Middle and the District Office.

The weekly report on emergency room visits for COVID-like illness shows that Alachua County leveled out during the week of August 30 (less than 60 people went to the ER for COVID-like illness in the weeks preceding 8/23 and 8/30), 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.

340 people (total) have been hospitalized, no change from yesterday; the total hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 (which includes non-residents) is 82, down 3 from yesterday.

The website with current numbers of institutional care cases in Alachua County shows 227 cases, an increase of 4 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 277 cases in long-term care (no change since yesterday) and 122 cases in a correctional facility (no change from yesterday).

Available hospital bed capacity in Alachua County is 19.5%, and ICU capacity is 14.29%.

North Florida Regional has 3 ICU beds available (6% of capacity), and Shands has 41 available (15.8% 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 85 to 82.

State COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped from 3,736 a week ago to 3,159 today.

The state has 648,269 cases (an increase of 1,888 from yesterday, 24% of which were in the 15-24 age group) and 11,871 deaths (an increase of 22 from yesterday, 8 of which were from long-term care facilities).

Changes in the number of deaths were reported on 18 different dates, going back to July 29. The peak is July 23 (203), and the 7-day moving average peak is July 25 (194).

9/6 – 3
9/5 – 2
9/3 – 1
9/2 – 1
8/29 – 1
8/26 – 1
8/25 – 1
8/20 – 1
8/18 – 1
8/17 – 2
8/16 – 1
8/15 – 1
8/13 – 1
8/8 – 1
8/5 – 1
8/1 – 1
7/29 – 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 4.55%. (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 6.82%.

This chart shows the number of negative tests reported in Alachua County by day:

The University of Florida reported no new test results today.

According to the daily report, there are 4,468 cases in Gainesville, 356 in Alachua, 252 in Newberry, 140 in High Springs, 101 in Archer, 92 in Hawthorne, 46 in Micanopy, 23 in Waldo, 15 in Santa Fe, 12 in Tioga, 12 in LaCrosse, 4 in “University of Fl.”, 3 in Evinston, 2 in Earleton, 2 in Jonesville, 2 in “Univ of Fl Student Dorms,” and 1 in Island Grove. 28 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 62.6 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.