COVID-19 vaccinations fall in Alachua County and Florida as omicron is confirmed in the U.S. – Gainesville Sun

Fewer people got the COVID-19 vaccine in both Alachua County and Florida last week as the first confirmed cases of the new omicron variant were found in the U.S.

Locally, new cases decreased, but the state as a whole saw a growing number of reportedinfections.

Last week's numbers: Alachua County passes 40,000 cumulative COVID-19 cases

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COVID-19 vaccines in local schools: Alachua County Public Schools prepares to vaccinate children ages 5-11

Here's a look at the pandemic's latest data around the county and state:

According to Friday's COVID-19 Weekly Situation Reportfrom FDOH, Alachua County had 96new COVID-19 cases between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2, the lowest since early July.

The county's new case positivity rate also decreased, falling below 2% for the first time since the state switched to weekly instead of daily reports in June.

Meanwhile, the number of people vaccinated dropped 40%from the previous seven days' count of1,567 to 940, the lowest since early November.

The county now has a total of172,353people vaccinated, accounting for about 67% of the vaccine-eligible population those ages 5and up and63% of the whole population.

Alachua County alsohas a new total of40,160 cumulative cases, according to the report. At least 452of them are variant of concern (VOC) cases confirmed by FDOH in apublic records request placed by lawyers for Gannett, the company that owns The Sun.

The latest variant report shared with The Sun contains data through Nov. 18, before the omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization,and showed that 362 about 80%of Alachua County's identified VOC cases were caused by the deltaB.1.617.2variant.

The county has had threedelta variant deaths, the report stated, including two white men, aged27 and 48, and a 93-year-old white woman.

FDOH does not publicly report COVID-19 deaths by county anymore and has not since switching to the weekly instead of daily reports in early June. However, a federal document called the COVID-19 Community Profile Reportpublished Thursdayshowed that Alachua County had 536cumulative COVID-19 deaths.

The county COVID-19 dashboard showed 31COVID-19-positive adult inpatients between local hospitals on Friday, including sevenin intensive care and twoon ventilators. The total more than doubled the 13 patients listed for Nov. 26.

As of Sunday, theAlachua County Public Schools COVID-19 dashboardreported24student and sixstaff COVID-19 cases forNovember. Another 17students were listed in quarantine.

The University of Florida reported seven new COVID-19 cases between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2, the FDOH weekly report timeline. Itsdashboardlisted13,450total COVID-19 cases between March 18, 2020, and Sunday, including 2,502 employee cases and8,685 student cases. It also showed 91 UF affiliates currently in isolation or quarantine as of Sunday, including 15employees and 57students.

Heres a breakdown of new cases in surrounding counties:

The number of new COVID-19 cases in thestate of Florida rose last week from9,663to 10,892, according to FDOH'sFriday report.

In the same time period, vaccinations dropped by a few thousand people to 101,032.About 69% of Florida's eligible population andover 65% of its total population has now been vaccinated.

Throughout the state, the report showed, senior Floridians ages 65 and older madeupthe most vaccinatedage group, at 89%,while young Floridians ages 5-11, who just recently became eligible for vaccination, made up one of the lowest vaccinated groups at 9%.

Meanwhile,the state added 61,548 moreCOVID-19 deaths to its cumulative total for61,701 throughout the pandemic.

According to the latest variant of concerndata available to The Sun, which includes data through Nov. 18,about 74% of Florida's reported 48,277VOC cases are from the delta COVID-19 strain. Around2% of those have resulted in hospitalization, and 1.4% have died.

The 490delta variant deaths in the state includeone 9-year-old girl,199women and 290men ranging in age from 23-99 years old. Five had traveled, and 272were hospitalized.Of the reported variant deaths 350 were white, 80were Black and 126were Hispanic.

Originally posted here:

COVID-19 vaccinations fall in Alachua County and Florida as omicron is confirmed in the U.S. - Gainesville Sun