TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Weekly coronavirus cases have been steadily rising in the Sunshine State over the past three weeks, with a 24% increase from the week of Nov. 26 to the week of Dec. 3 alone.
Last week, 13,530 COVID-19 cases.
It’s minuscule compared to this summer when the state was racking up more than 20,000 cases a day, but epidemiologists say it is something to keep an eye on.
“The uptick in cases is not necessarily unexpected,” said Dr. Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida.
Last year, the state’s winter surge was worse than the 2020 summer spike, but Prins doesn’t expect a repeat this winter.
“This year we have the benefit of vaccines, so I don’t expect our winter spike to be quite as high,” said Prins.
Dr. Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida, points out Florida currently has some of the lowest infection and hospitalization rates in the country.
“We’re fourth lowest in the country on new hospitalization rates,” said Salemi.
But Salemi notes it’s not yet clear how omicron will play into a potential winter surge.
“The early indications are that it’s less likely to cause severe illness, but I think it’s a little too quick to say that definitively,” said Salemi.
One thing is clear. Even if we do see a winter spike, the governor has no intentions of returning to lockdowns or mandates.
The experts we spoke with encouraged Floridians to take their own precautions, especially if they are at higher risk for severe disease.
“Wearing masks and definitely getting vaccinated,” said Prins.
According to the state’s latest COVID-19 report, 70% of Floridians age 5 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Ninety percent of Floridians age 65 and up have been vaccinated.
Both epidemiologists said people should also consider getting a booster shot if they were vaccinated more than six months ago, especially older Floridians and those with preexisting conditions.