- April 24, 2024
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For about a week, it looked like the peak of COVID-19 in Florida might be coming sooner than expected — on April 21 instead of May 3 — potentially sparing the state 3,000 hospitalizations.
But as of April 14, the University of Washington modeling used by the department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. military was again showing Florida’s cases peaking in May, with the highest number of deaths in a day expected on May 6, with 128.
"The cases are low because we are doing the right thing as a community and listening to the guidance and advice of the CDC, Department of Health and local officials."
BOB SNYDER, administrator, Florida Department of Health-Flagler
“It shifts because they take into account what Florida is doing from a social distancing and other best practice standpoint, as well as the current data,” Florida Department of Health-Flagler Administrator Bob Snyder said. “So I’m sure they change the model on a weekly, if not daily, basis.”
Despite the modeling shift, Snyder said he was impressed by locals’ attention to social distancing.
“I’m very optimistic, very pleased, with what we’re doing as a community,” he said. “When you take a look at the central Florida counties, Orange County is at the top with positive cases, and Flagler and our area is at the bottom. Of course, that has a lot to do with our population not being as great. However, it also is reflective of the great progress we’ve made with social distancing and the closing of the beach.”
As of April 14, Flagler County had 45 cases, eight hospitalizations and two deaths due to COVID-19. The Health Department was also monitoring hundreds of other people who’ve had close contact with people who tested positive. The county will know more about the total number of people who’ve had COVID-19 locally once antibody tests are available, Snyder said, but that’s still at least several weeks out.
Statewide, there were 21,628 cases as of April 14, 3,050 hospitalizations and 571 deaths.
The fact that Flagler County has a relatively low number of cases isn’t reason to lift social distancing measures, Snyder said; it’s evidence that they’re working.
“The governor’s executive orders and people listening and heeding the advice of public health officials and government officials — it’s all having a very positive impact.
When the community does get past the peak and starts to consider lifting closures, he said, city and county officials will need to work with emergency management and the health department to reach a consensus on when to start opening things up again.
