By Marsha Mullings, MPH
USA
42 million cases,
678,000 deaths
Florida*
3.5 million cases,
51,240 deaths
*The Florida Department of Health has suspended daily case and vaccine reports. The department will instead post weekly updates. The numbers reported here reflect the number of new cases and deaths for the previous week, September 10 – September 16.
Announcement
An advisory panel at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended booster shots of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for adults 65 and older and for immunocompromised individuals. Persons 65 and older, and those who are immunocompromised will be eligible for a third shot of Pfizer vaccine 8 months after administration of their second shot.
The panel has at this time, rejected booster shots for the general population. The panel will soon follow with booster announcements for Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines.
Updates
- The state of Florida has surpassed 50,000 deaths from COVID-19 disease.
- New infections continue to decrease. The daily average of new infection is now 11,000, down from 15,600 in the prior week.
- COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to decrease in Florida, but remains high, at an average of 10,000 admissions per day.
- Monoclonal Antibody (mAB) therapy treatments are now available for free to all Floridians 12 and over who have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19, and who are at high risk for severe illness.
- There are three treatments sites in South Florida:
o CB Smith Park, Pembroke Pines
o Tropical Park, Miami
o West Gate Park, West Palm Beach
- Treatment is administered daily from 9 a.m. -5 p.m.
Advisory
The Delta variant is a highly contagious strain of coronavirus that presents a serious risk for infection. The probability of infection from this variant is extremely high for unvaccinated persons. Remaining vigilant against disease transmission is critical. Practice good COVID-19 control strategies:
Observe social distancing guidelines (6 feet or more of separation from others).
Practice good hand hygiene (wash hands frequently with soap and warm water or use hand sanitizers).
Wear a mask when out in public if you are unvaccinated.
For more information on coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention, visit www.FloridaHealth.org; www.coronavirus.jhu.edu; www.cdc.gov; www.sun-sentinel.com