New numbers from the Florida Hospital Association puts hospitalizations at just over 2,600. That’s down more than 4,900 hospitalizations from the beginning of October.
But even with numbers trending downward, a doctor warns of another surge in November.
[TRENDING: Human remains found off I-4 near Daytona Beach, deputies say | Here’s where you can turn left in Florida | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Dr. Ali Mokdad, of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, has been studying the spread of COVID-19 carefully.
“We will see the surge in cases, but not as much of a surge in hospitalization and mortality, because the vaccines are highly effective against hospitalization and mortality,” he said.
Dr. Mokdad told News 6 they are projecting that cases will start going up at the end of November.
He stressed now isn’t the time for people to let their guard down.
“This is a false sense of security, in my opinion,” Mokdad said. “Cases are coming down, which is very good. We should celebrate, we should tell people, yes, you’re doing a good job, but you need to maintain it.”
The November surge they expect to see is preventable, according to Mokdad.
He added, “I need to stress that we can prevent it by vaccination and mask wearing.”