An Aug. 23 Florida Health Department report showed something not seen since some of the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed and tracked in the Florida Keys back in March. The number was related to new cases reported in Monroe County. It totaled zero.
August begins to set, and so have new daily cases of COVID-19 throughout the island chain, as evidenced in recent reports from the health department in the last week. One new case was confirmed on Aug. 24, two on Aug. 25 and five on Aug. 26.
From Aug. 16 to 23, new daily cases averaged at about nine. The highest number of cases reported in that week was 16 on Aug. 19.
A week before, Aug. 9 to 15, new cases averaged around 13. The highest number of cases seen in that period was 26 on Aug. 14. And going back to mid-July, cases were averaging 25 between July 5 and July 12, and 40 between July 13 and July 20. As many as 74 cases were reported to the health department on July 11 and 53 on July 17.
While cases are declining both locally and in counties to the north, Bob Eadie, health officer for Monroe County, said it’s not the time to relax measures just yet. Still, Eadie said he feels better than in a very long time when examining where the county is currently with the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think several things are going on. You’re seeing a decline in the counties north of us in Dade County,” he said. “There’s a decline throughout the country, but I kind of like to think that given that we’re small and strung out through the islands, that the efforts we’ve put in are starting to pay off.”
On Aug. 23, the state of Florida had the lowest single-day count of new infections reported in two months. The state’s positive rate for infections is hovering near 5% for new cases. The tri-county area with the worst infection rate (Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach) was also showing lower rates of daily positivity. Earlier this week, those numbers were reported as 9.13% for Miami-Dade, 4.34% for Broward and 5.34% for Palm Beach.
These percentages do not include those who have previously tested positive. Altogether (new and previous cases), the state has a positivity rate of about 10%.
In Monroe County, measures are still in place requiring masks in public places like grocery stores and shops. Coverings must also be worn in restaurants until seated at a table. Islamorada decided to keep parks and beaches closed through Labor Day to avoid large crowds. Key West parks and beaches are currently open, and there’s no plans to shut them down as Labor Day approaches. County parks are also open.
With drops in new cases, hospitals are also seeing fewer patients with COVID-19. Just two were hospitalized with COVID-19 at Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West and none at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier as of Aug. 26. A week before, four were hospitalized, with three at LKMC and one at Mariners and Fishermen’s hospitals. Anywhere from 18 to 25 hospitalizations were seen per day from July 21 to 26.
“Dramatic improvement overall,” said Dr. Thomas Morrison, emergency doctor at Mariners and Fishermen’s hospitals. A spokesperson for Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West said hospitalizations for COVID-19 cases are trending down. LKMC is performing elective surgeries and outpatient procedures with enhanced precautions and COVID-free zones.
A total of 107 people have been hospitalized in Monroe County for COVID-19 from the start of the pandemic in mid-March to Aug. 26. That’s 6% of all cases locally, and right at the Florida average with 37,404 hospitalizations statewide from the start to Aug. 26.
Statewide, the number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 is also trending downward. In mid-July those numbers surged to about 14,000. For the week beginning Aug. 16, there were 4,000 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida.
Positive COVID-19 cases in Monroe County total 1,700, with 1,671 residents and 29 nonresidents. Of the positive cases, 203 are in the 15-24 age range; 321 in the 25-34 age range; 292 in the 35-44 age range; 311 in the 45-54 age range and 218 in the 55-64 age range. As for the elderly populations, 136 positive cases have occurred in the 65-74 age range; 62 in the 75-84 age range and 19 in the 85-plus age range.
Eadie said those who’ve had COVID-19 symptoms and who are in good health have made good recoveries. And with no overwhelming number of people hospitalized with COVID-19, even those entering ICUs aren’t staying for long, Eadie acknowledged.
“It’s very low in all parts of the Keys,” he said. “Encouraging, maybe more than anything, is those who’ve been in the hospital and are being discharged in a matter of days.”
Fifteen deaths in the county have been deemed COVID-19 related, the latest happening on Aug. 26 involving an 83-year-old male resident of Monroe County who had multiple co-morbidities, the health department said. Eadie said all COVID-19-related deaths have been associated with underlying health issues among the older population. Six deaths have come from those ages 55 to 74 and seven among those 75 to 84. Two deaths occurred among those who were 85-plus years old.
Just 1% of all cases have resulted in fatalities in Monroe County, and that’s slightly less than the state average of 2% with 10,733 total deaths to date statewide. A little over 60% of deaths related to COVID-19 statewide have been in the 75-plus age range.
As for testing, the health department has seen a drop among those wanting to be swabbed. But Eadie said people are still coming out to get tested, as witnessed in the Aug. 13 mass testing at Founders Park in Islamorada, where 240 drove up to get swabbed.
The Founders Park tests were part of a mass testing by the health department in the Keys from Aug. 10 to 14. A total of 78 were tested on Aug. 10 and 11 at the Roth Building in Tavernier and Big Pine Moose Lodge. On Aug.12, a total of 114 were tested between sites at the Roth Building and at College of the Florida Keys on Stock Island. Seventeen were tested on Aug. 14 at the health department’s Ruth Ivins Center in Marathon.
“There’s still a good demand for the test, but it has dropped off,” he said. “I think it may also be that people are learning more about the disease, unless they have the symptoms and have been around somebody who has had symptoms. I don’t think there’s that sort of panic feeling they have to be tested right now.”
Just over 15,593 tests have been performed in Monroe County from March to Aug. 26. Of those tests, 13,909 have come back negative, 1,671 positive and 13 inconclusive. Eleven percent of those tested have come back positive, according to data.
Eadie said people should continue to wear masks in public, socially distance and practice good hygiene. He also stressed the importance of receiving the flu shot this year.
“I haven’t seen any literature or any place where anyone has gotten the flu and COVID at the same time. If there’s some way to mitigate that, then I would suggest doing it, and the best way to do that is with a flu shot,” he said.
