COVID-19 continues to hang on throughout Florida as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now designated all but three counties as “high risk” for transmission.   

As of Friday, the CDC listed 64 of 67 Florida counties as “high risk” for level of transmission, while the other three counties are at “medium risk.” Florida remains the top state in the nation with 334.6 cases per 100,000 over the past seven days with California second at 312.

According to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) bi-weekly report released Friday, Alachua County’s new positive cases dropped slightly from 1,156 on July 14 to 1,083 (389.7 cases per 100,000).  

On Monday, UF Health Shands Hospital reported 154 COVID-related admitted patients with 103 positive cases, 25 in either the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or Intermediate Care Unit (IMC). Another 51 non-infectious patients were still hospitalized but no longer positive. The numbers have increased from 124 total COVID-related patients on July 18 with 85 positives, 29 in the ICU/IMC and 39 non-infectious cases.

HCA Florida North Florida Hospital reported 40 COVID-positive cases on July 18, but updated numbers were not available on Monday.

In the surrounding counties over the past two weeks, Columbia increased from 271 cases to 294, Suwannee rose from 165 to 205 and Bradford remained the same at 108.

Counties that decreased included Levy (180 to 161), Gilchrist (96 to 74), Dixie (78 to 42) and Union (43 to 42).

The July 29 FDOH report showed the following new regional cases and cases per 100,000 population:

• Alachua County – 1,083 positive cases (389.7 cases per 100,000 population)
• Columbia County – 294 (411.6)
• Levy County – 161 (380.1)
• Suwannee County – 205 (443.7)
• Bradford County – 108 (373.3)
• Gilchrist County – 74 (390.4)
• Union County – 42 (271.4)
• Dixie County – 42 (250.4)

The current COVID outbreak, which started its surge in May, remains smaller and milder than the omicron surge in January, when 30.7% of Alachua County residents tested positive and hospitalizations surged above 300. More than 450 COVID-positive patients were hospitalized in Alachua County during the height of the delta variant outbreak in August 2021.