Florida’s positivity rate under 5%: Expert responds

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the archetypal clip successful months, the authorities is reporting a positivity complaint nether 5%.

This could people the extremity of a surge, but doctors issued a warning: Do not get excessively comfy and support taking precautions.

Every week for the past six weeks, the authorities is reporting less caller infections than the week before.

Primary attraction doctors accidental this inclination speaks to the extremity of the astir caller surge.

“We inactive privation to marque definite that this 5% is maintained and really goes adjacent lower,” Dr. Tra’Chella Johnson-Foy, a Baptist Primary Care physician, said.

This clip past year, Florida had a fewer 1000 less cases. Shortly after, the cases roseate and started trending downward astatine the extremity of February.

“It is close to accidental astatine this point, it’s hard to archer what benignant of variant whitethorn interruption retired what benignant of mutation,” Dr. Johnson-Foy said. “So that’s wherefore if we tin bash our champion to marque definite that we support ourselves arsenic champion we can. We cognize that the wintertime months are a premier clip for galore viruses to emergence up.”

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Dr. Johnson-Foy says vaccinations against COVID-19 and the flu earlier winter. She besides says to beryllium diligent with manus washing and wearing masks.

“Do those things that we each did erstwhile we were flattening the curve erstwhile this pandemic started,” Dr. Johnson-Foy said. “So we tin genuinely assistance bring this pandemic to an end.”

This week, the Department of Health reported 25,792 cases. 72,281 radical were vaccinated this week – adding to the wide 72% of radical vaccinated.

“What is imperative for america to bash arsenic we benignant of beryllium and hold to spot what’s next?” Dr. Johnson-Foy asked. “When we deliberation astir herd immunity, our extremity is to get to astatine slightest 80%. So we’re not there. And truthful my encouragement would beryllium radical proceed to really get vaccinated.”

Doctors hold it’s hard to foretell however the microorganism volition mutate adjacent oregon erstwhile the adjacent surge volition be. In the coming weeks, determination could beryllium immoderate changes to COVID-19 protocols.

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Dr. Johnson-Foy said taking precautions and protecting yourself present volition assistance successful the future.

“And if we support doing those things, past we tin truly marque a bigger dent,” Dr. Johnson-Foy said. “And what benignant of hunt comes next, however galore radical were affected, and however galore lives are lost? That’s what we person to remember, this is astir redeeming lives.”

Health officials accidental the percent positivity complaint should enactment betwixt 5% and 10% to amusement however a assemblage is curbing infections.

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