CDC still labels Leon County 'high' risk for COVID-19; positivity rate remains over 20%

Christopher Cann, Tallahassee Democrat
·1 min read

As cases increase and hospitalizations stay steady, Leon County and Tallahassee remain "high" risk for COVID-19 transmission, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In areas with a high community transmission label, the CDC recommends people wear masks indoors and on public transportation as well as get tested when symptoms appear, according to the CDC's website.

Leon County, however, is not an outlier: 58 of the Sunshine State's 67 counties were also considered high risk for infection Monday afternoon.

The CDC's community level map shows Leon County still at the "high" COVID-19 community level on Monday, July 18, 2022.
The CDC's community level map shows Leon County still at the "high" COVID-19 community level on Monday, July 18, 2022.

Last week: CDC labels Leon County as 'high' risk for COVID-19 transmission; hospitalizations increase

Between July 8-14, there were 1,651 new infections in Leon County and the positivity rate was 24.2%, above the state's 21.2%, according to a bi-weekly report from the Florida Department of Health.

Two weeks earlier, DOH reported 1,550 new infections and a 19% positivity rate in the capital city and county.

Since March 2020, Leon County has recorded a cumulative total of 96,702 COVID cases.

Tallahassee Memorial Health Care has a 155-acre campus of city-owned land between Centerville and Miccosukee roads into a research center and regional medical center.
Tallahassee Memorial Health Care has a 155-acre campus of city-owned land between Centerville and Miccosukee roads into a research center and regional medical center.

There were 36 people infected with COVID-19 in Tallahassee hospitals as of Monday afternoon. On Friday, there were 41 infected patients; two weeks prior, there were 38 patients. The hospitalization numbers since the first week of July show a steady hold in the high 30s

On Monday, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare had 20 COVID-positive patients, 16 of whom are considered "incidental," meaning they were being treated for primarily other illnesses and injuries, said TMH spokesperson Rebeccah Lutz.

HCA Florida Capital Hospital, formerly known as Capital Regional Medical Center, had 16, according to hospital spokesperson Rachel Stiles.

Capital Regional Medical Center unveiled a new sign after changing its name to HCA Florida Capital, Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Capital Regional Medical Center unveiled a new sign after changing its name to HCA Florida Capital, Thursday, March 3, 2022.

Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: COVID in Leon: Case percentage at 24%, hospitalizations remain steady