coronavirus testing

An expert said communities could use the data to predict trends in cases.

The death toll and number of new cases from COVID-19 continues to drop across Florida and the greater Tampa Bay region.

6,258 coronavirus patients are in the hospital statewide, 165 less people than the previous day's report.

The company hires additional employees every year to help out with flu season, but the demand is even higher with COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and booster shots.

Germans pay less than $1 per test. Brits get them free. Why do Americans pay so much more? Because companies can still demand it.

Hillsborough County announced it will open two temporary locations to help meet the demand in tests.

Brian Lee with Families for Better Care says federal data on nursing home case rates lags and doesn't cover all of Florida's long-term care facilities. He says the state is failing seniors by not resuming daily reports.

The positivity rate for new cases statewide was 7.8%, up from 5.2% the previous week.

The 1,832 hospitalizations for COVID-19 was also the lowest recorded since Health News Florida began tracking hospitalization data daily in late July.

Locally, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Hernando Counties each reported four new deaths due to complications from COVID-19.

The state reported Thursday 3.92% of swabs that came in Wednesday tested positive for the virus, making it the eleventh day in a row the number has been under 5%.

Officials in Hillsborough and Pasco counties cite a drop in demand, along with declines in the positivity rate and number of cases.