Florida reports 6,721 new COVID-19 cases as health officials discuss J&J concerns in emergency meeting

ORLANDO, Fla. – An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control met virtually Wednesday afternoon to discuss the next steps for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine amid blood clot concerns.

The virtual meeting among health officials is scheduled to end at 4:30 p.m.

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In a joint statement Tuesday, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration announced they were investigating blood clots in six women that occurred in the days after vaccination. According to officials, one woman died and a second woman in Nebraska is currently hospitalized and in critical condition.

Because of the ongoing investigations, the U.S. recommended a “pause” in administering the single-dose J&J vaccine. The women who experienced the clots range from 18 to 48 years old. According to the Associated Press, the clots are not typical blood clots because they occur in unusual parts of the body, such as veins that drain blood from the brain.

More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects.

Shortly after the recommendation, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced during a news conference that the state would temporarily suspend the use of J&J vaccine doses. The governor said he received the J&J vaccine earlier this month and felt no ill effects, other than a temporarily sore arm, adding that he believes the recommended pause will soon be lifted.

The suspension of J&J vaccines in Florida came as the state reported its highest COVID-19 positivity rate since early February. The FEMA-backed vaccination site at Valencia College’s West Campus switched to only administering the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine once the J&J halt was ordered Tuesday.

[READ YESTERDAY’S REPORT: With J&J doses on hold, vaccination sites adapt as Florida reports 9,130 new COVID-19 cases ]

Find the state-run COVID-19 dashboard below:

Below is a breakdown of Florida COVID-19 data reported by the state on April 14.

Cases

The Florida Department of Health reported 6,721 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the state’s overall total to 2,141,686 cases since the virus was first detected on March 1, 2020.

Deaths

Florida reported 45 new virus-related deaths Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 34,829. This number includes the 665 non-residents who died in Florida.

Hospitalizations

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were currently 3,258 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

Since last March, 87,523 people have been hospitalized in Florida after complications from COVID-19. That number includes the 236 new patients who have been recently hospitalized due to the virus, according to the health department’s daily report released on Wednesday.

Positivity rate

The percent of positive results was 7.44% Tuesday out of 90,357 tests. The numbers reported daily by the state reflect test results from the day prior. 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 began releasing a daily report in December 2020 on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state.

FDOH reports 4,678,987 people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. These individuals either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or completed a two-shot series.

As of Wednesday, 7,584,736 people have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Below is the Central Florida region breakdown of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations for Wednesday.

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