Florida: relentless infection, hospitalization and death

The State of Florida reported 1,727 COVID-19 deaths in the seven days ending August 26 - with 901 fatalities in a single day - to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This distressing news marked the state's third consecutive week of record coronavirus infection, hospitalization and death - 151,749 new cases statewide in this seven-day period.

These rates are expected to soar even higher under a new Florida tradition - significant surge after a long holiday weekend, this time ending with Labor Day on September 6.

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 contagion statewide as of August 26 was 21,203 additional cases, with 15,700 men, women and children hospitalized for COVID care. Florida now ranks third in the U.S. for both average daily COVID diagnoses and deaths per 100,000 residents.

In Broward County, which includes Dania Beach, only three percent of Intensive Care Unit beds in the county's 16 hospitals were available August 26, and of the 1,842 patients admitted this week, 254 were on ventilators.

Only five percent of ICU beds statewide were available, with coronavirus patients accounting for 55 percent of the occupied space, and 17 percent of these patients were on ventilators, compared with 13 percent a month ago.

Nationwide, COVID deaths now average more than 1,100 a day, the highest level since mid-March 2021.

As we've noted many times, state, county and local restrictions prohibit public gatherings when the daily rate of new coronavirus reaches five percent or higher. Florida no longer provides daily data updates, but the state's "positivity rates" reported to the CDC were 16.8 percent statewide, 16.1 percent in Broward County, 13.9 percent in Palm Beach County and 10.4 percent in Miami-Dade County.

This is discouraging because, by mid-June 2021, the AMO Executive Board was anticipating a return to in-person on-site AMO membership meetings - the statewide view was that the health crisis had eased significantly.

Then came the July 4 weekend - and a staggering increase in all of the numbers that matter right behind the three-day holiday break.

Meanwhile, I had an appointment with a technician whose business services include live streaming and recording of public and business events - my intent is to make our meetings available to AMO members unable to travel to Dania Beach to participate directly, and to make this permanent policy. In a sad irony, this potential contractor was stricken with COVID-19 and we had to cancel. He has recovered, but we have to reschedule.

Until then, I have a line on a second business providing the same service, and I will meet the lead technician as soon as possible under our respective schedules.

The AMO Executive Board will continue to follow the data and advise the seagoing AMO membership of the state of the scheduled headquarters membership meeting slated for Tuesday, September 7. We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions.

Thank you.

Paul Doell
August 28, 2021