ORLANDO, Fla. – In the first week of 2021, vaccination efforts are well underway across Central Florida, with all counties seeing a high demand for the shots.
As vaccine efforts are off to a slow start, Florida continues to see a positivity rate above 10% as the state tracks a rise in infections, reporting nearly 15,200 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday.
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People 65 and older in Volusia County lined up overnight for first come, first served vaccinations, with Daytona Stadium reaching capacity just before 7 a.m. Tuesday. Lake and Marion counties saw registration slots quickly fill up as health officials prepared to distribute the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine to the priority group.
The Florida Department of Health reported that as of Tuesday, more than 260,000 people across the state have rolled up their sleeves for their first shot out of the 1.15 million doses provided to Florida, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC is keeping track of the number of vaccinations across the country and the distribution of doses. As of Tuesday, 4.8 million people have received their first shot of either Moderna or Pfizer’s vaccines. The agency says more than 17 million doses have been shipped nationwide.
The CDC previously said it plans to track how many people receive their second shot as well and will include more data if another vaccine is approved within the U.S.
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Mexico, India and the United Kingdom are some of the first countries to approve AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.
On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis highlighted plans to use Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine once it becomes available, saying it will be key to vaccinating Florida’s workforce. The company says it’s nearing the end of its phase three trial and expects to release data by the end of the month. If approved, it would be the first coronavirus vaccine that could provide protection from the virus with one shot, instead of two like Pfizer and Moderna.
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As far as who is getting the shot, DeSantis said Florida’s focus is still the most vulnerable population and healthcare workers. Despite a push for educators and school staff to be prioritized for a vaccine, the governor says as of now, they’re not part of the first wave of vaccine plans.
While speaking during a news conference in Seminole County, the governor said he plans to convert hospitals and current coronavirus testing sites into vaccination sites. Florida also plans to identify places of worship in underserved communities to reach those who might not otherwise have access to it.
Right now, much of Central Florida is distributing vaccines to first responders, residents and staff in long-term care facilities and people 65 and older. To see where you can get vaccinated and how to register for an appointment or alerts for when they become available, click here.
[READ YESTERDAY’S REPORT: Florida’s positivity rate remains above 10% as state ramps up COVID-19 vaccination efforts]
Below is a breakdown of Florida COVID-19 data reported by the state on Jan. 5:
Cases
The Florida Department of Health reported 15,193 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the state’s overall total to 1,392,123 cases since March.
Deaths
Florida reported 100 new virus-related deaths Tuesday. This means at least 22,515 people have died in relation to the coronavirus across the state, including 327 non-residents who died in Florida.
Hospitalizations
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are currently 7,342 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration.
Since March, 63,882 people have been hospitalized in Florida after complications from the coronavirus. That number includes the 377 patients who have been recently hospitalized due to the virus, according to the health department’s daily report.
Positivity rate
The rate of people testing positive for the first time has increased over the holiday season.
The percent of positive results ranged from 7.98% to 23.06% over the past two weeks and was 12.74% for the 119,268 total tests reported Monday. For the past six days, the rate has been above the advised 10%.
Health officials say the rate should remain between 5% and 10% to prove a community has a hold of the virus and is curbing infections.
Vaccinations
The Florida Department of Health recently began releasing a daily report on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state. As of Tuesday, 260,655 people have been vaccinated in Florida.
See COVID-19 data for the Central Florida region below:
| County | Cases | New cases | Hospitalizations | New hospitalizations | Deaths | New deaths | Total people vaccinated (First dose) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard | 22,364 | 327 | 1,454 | 10 | 525 | 0 | 7,384 |
| Flagler | 4,018 | 59 | 233 | 3 | 48 | 0 | 1,346 |
| Lake | 16,697 | 214 | 989 | 8 | 336 | 18 | 5,715 |
| Marion | 18,971 | 230 | 1,355 | 11 | 489 | 4 | 2,878 |
| Orange | 81,162 | 1,109 | 1,981 | 20 | 763 | 12 | 19,836 |
| Osceola | 26,727 | 177 | 1,097 | 3 | 295 | 4 | 2,964 |
| Polk | 39,739 | 471 | 3,373 | 30 | 809 | 18 | 4,117 |
| Seminole | 19,213 | 327 | 922 | 4 | 317 | 1 | 7,639 |
| Sumter | 5,508 | 135 | 385 | 1 | 122 | 0 | 739 |
| Volusia | 23,791 | 562 | 1,293 | 5 | 458 | 1 | 6,159 |
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