Florida's Rising COVID-19 Numbers: What Do They Mean?

[TomCADem]

Source: NPR

Over the last week, Florida has seen rising numbers of new COVID-19 cases. Since last Tuesday, the number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus totaled more than 1,000 each day. Saturday's total of 1,426 positive tests was the most since early April.

A similar rise in new cases is happening in other states, including North Carolina, Texas and California. It's leading to worries that as businesses reopen and stay-at-home orders are lifted, relaxed guidelines could lead to new outbreaks and even a second wave of infections.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis downplayed concerns that the rising numbers are related to the state's reopening. He said he believes more people are turning up positive for the coronavirus because more people are being tested. "We've now, in the last two weeks averaged 30,000 test results a day in the state of Florida. If you go back to the ... beginning of April, we weren't even doing 10,000 test results a day."

DeSantis pointed to the state's low rate of positive tests. In Miami-Dade County, the area in Florida hardest hit by the pandemic, the positive rate is around 5% now, much lower than it was in April, when it was more than 10%.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/08/872613988/floridas-rising-covid-19-numbers-what-do-they-mean

[Grokenstein]

1. Careful there, DeSatanis

You're coming awfully close to suggesting that Generalissimo Corpulente's foot-dragging on testing has been largely responsible for the spread. It'd be a damn shame if he threw you (and a few rolls of paper towels) under the bus next big hurricane.

Too bad you can't think up some way of blaming Obama or Hillary, huh.

[bullimiami]

2. When there were few tests you had to be on deaths door to get one.

More tests now and more widely available.

Of course the positive percentages will be lower.

What to look at is the total cases and even more the hospitalizations.

[obamanut2012]

3. WAAAAY more folks are being tested here in SOFL

Way more sites have opened the last two to three weeks. The death rate in my SOFL county is way down.

[beachbumbob]

4. test results are one thing, whats happening with the hospitals is another, that data is what needed

[Squinch]

5. Increased testing only works once. Testing increases and you get a jump. Presumably

testing hasn't increased, then increased again and again, but Florida's average numbers of new cases has doubled, then doubled again in recent weeks.

Yes. Testing accounts for some. But the virus is ramping up in Florida.

[lagomorph777]

6. Gosh, what could it possibly mean?

I don't suppose there's any connection to the Governor's idiotic policies?

[countryken]

7. We in Florida are screwed

My brother in Clearwater Beach was likely killed by COVID right after Easter, shortly after the governor's inaction caused Clearwater Beach to turn into a petri dish during Spring Break. The governor fired the COVID Dashboard architect after she refused to falsify numbers. Although the numbers are still increasing, the 'message' from above is that we are opening up the state. The beaches were opened up during Memorial Day, and I drove from Jacksonville to an Ormond Beach Cracker Barrel parking lot to meet a guy to buy a guitar. Very few masks were visible in that restaurant. At a rest stop on 95 on the way back, I was the only person with a mask. Yes, this is anecdotal evidence, but it's what I see. Fortunately my company allows me to work from home and Publix delivers groceries. I'm still locked down.

Now it looks like Lenny Curry, our republican hack mayor, will be bringing the republican convention to Jacksonville. This COVID situation is going to get a lot worse real soon, but nobody will know because we can't trust the numbers coming out of Tallahassee. The only people who will know will be the friends and families of the victims.

I fear for us all.

[Miguelito Loveless]

8. "What do they mean?" Really NPR

You guys would have been a scream during the Black Death.