NICEVILLE, Fla — The Florida Department of Health, after withholding data until after 5 p.m. last night with no explanation, finally reported the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Okaloosa County for October 21 is 5,894, 34 since the day before.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Niceville and Valparaiso is 795.
Statewide, 2,144 new cases were reported.
The DOH reports the total number of COVID-19 -related deaths in Okaloosa County is 129, no change.
Okaloosa County Department of Health Director Dr. Karen Chapman said this week that Okaloosa’s upward trend in cases is “concerning news.” She pointed out that the number of new cases daily has risen from 20+ to 40+. The rate is more than double the rate the county is aiming for and represents a high burden of local cases.
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Currently, one in 28 people in Florida has been infected. That number is closer to one in 40 nationally and one in 191 worldwide.
The state Department of Health yesterday released a statement saying it would shift how it investigates fatalities. Many media outlets reported this week that Gov. DeSantis is voicing support for ending the public daily COVID-19 reports. Early on, Florida issued twice daily updates and then switched to a single daily update in late April.
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The number of cumulative hospitalizations related to coronavirus in Okaloosa is 324, three since yesterday. The county reports today there are 13 COVID-19 patients in Okaloosa County hospitals; eight in ICU.
According to the FDOH, there were 339 tests returned yesterday in Okaloosa with 31 positives. The daily positivity rate is 9.14 percent, slightly down from 9.32 percent the previous day.
Okaloosa’s weekly positivity rate was 9.91 percent for the week ending Oct. 17, up from 7.79 percent the previous week, according to the FDOH.
Florida’s current weekly positivity rate is 12.3 percent (7-day moving average) according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center data.
Currently, Florida is testing 1.0 people in 1,000, ranking it tied for last in the U.S. for testing according to data provided by Johns Hopkins.
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Here’s the latest breakdown by city in Okaloosa (note that the city is not always reported as part of the initial notification and may be missing while the case is being investigated):
- Fort Walton Beach, 1,886, eight since yesterday
- Destin, 731, three since yesterday
- Niceville, 729, one since yesterday
- Crestview, 1,160, four since yesterday
- Shalimar, 270, one since yesterday
- Mary Esther, 288, five since yesterday
- Eglin AFB, 87, one since yesterday
- Laurel Hill, 57, no change
- Baker, 120, no change
- Holt, 41, no change
- Valparaiso, 66, two since yesterday
- Hurlburt Field, 12, one since yesterday
- Milligan, 2, no change
- Cinco Bayou, 35, no change
- Duke Field, 1, no change
- Missing, 360, eight since yesterday
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Florida does not publish data about deaths for persons under 18. Florida also does not publish testing, case or condition data for people in county/local jails, state prisons, migrant communities, or cumulative totals for testing and cases in long-term care facilities, probable cases and deaths before testing was available, or non-resident data at the zip code or city level.
Want more info and data? Get it here:
- The state of Florida’s daily COVID-19 data reports
- The Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard
- Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 resource center for Florida
- The COVID Track Project’s data for Florida
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