The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
COVID Bits
According to the CDC, nearly 200 million people—approximately 60 percent of the U.S. population—have received at least one vaccine dose. Just over half the population was fully vaccinated.
In the U.S., more children are being hospitalized with COVID—an average of 276 each day—than at any other point in the pandemic.
“Comirnaty”: The FDA’s fully-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
North Carolina has seen vaccination interest surge since it upped the financial incentive from $25 to $100 for unvaccinated residents who come in for their first shot this month.
In Florida, 34 percent of patients in hospital beds are being treated for COVID. That’s the highest percentage in the nation.
One out of every four COVID infections recorded by the state in the most recent seven-day period were of people age 19 or younger.
Florida: 38 percent of the total population is unvaccinated.
Orlando is asking residents to stop watering lawns and washing cars because of the recent surge in COVID hospitalizations. Supplies, such as liquid nitrogen, which ordinarily go toward water treatment, have been diverted to hospitals.
For the seventh consecutive week, Florida’s positivity rate increased—most recently from 19.1 percent to 19.8 percent. In Hillsborough County it was 22.2 percent.
Since schools reopened on Aug. 10-11, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando school districts have reported approximately 5,000 COVID cases. Last year’s total for the entire school year was fewer than 18,000.