Florida COVID transmission levels high in most of state

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Of Florida’s 67 counties, just seven don’t have high COVID-19 community level transmission, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. None of the counties with a lower level of transmission are in the Tampa Bay area.

The latest CDC data is accurate as of June 30. Florida has 60 counties experiencing high levels of community transmission of COVID-19, meaning a higher likelihood of residents becoming infected with COVID by members of their local communities.

In the beginning of June, the state had lower levels of COVID-19 transmission, collectively. While overall ability for the virus to spread is higher, the positivity rate of new cases has remained in the same range as before, staying at a rate of 20 to 24.9%, according to the CDC data.

In the Florida Department of Health’s COVID report, also accurate through June 30, the state reported a positivity rate of 19.4%. The FDOH reports come out every two weeks, and provide updated data for the week they are published. The most recent available report was published July 1, with data from June 24 to June 30.

The CDC data showed different counties had different levels of reported cases. Miami-Dade County has the highest number of current cases per county as of the latest data, with 16,198 as of June 30. In the Tampa Bay area, levels are lower.

To date, FDOH reports Florida has had a cumulative caseload of 6,493,977 COVID-19 infections, with a positivity rate since the start of the pandemic at 27.6%. Across the state, 75,891 deaths to COVID-19 has been reported among Florida residents.