Florida appears ready to reinstitute the Johnson & Johnson one-shot COVID-19 vaccine as the Sunshine State topped 2.2 million cumulative cases of the deadly virus on Saturday.
The Florida Department of Health hadn’t released details late Saturday afternoon of when the Johnson and Johnson vaccine would become available again but it appeared likely to happen Sunday or Monday. The popular single-dose vaccine was put on hold April 13 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after six women ages 18 to 48 developed blood clots after receiving the shot. At the time, 8 million people had received Johnson & Johnson vaccinations.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration won’t recommend limiting inoculations of the Johnson & Johnson vaccination by age and/or gender. The vaccine is a popular choice among health professionals because it only requires one shot and can be stored in a regular refrigerator instead of at temperatures well below freezing like the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
All told, Florida is reporting 2,203,913 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 7,411 from Friday to Saturday. Of those, 2,162,612 are residents. A total of 84,397 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 32,176 in correctional facilities. Across the state, there have been 35,497 deaths and 89,380 people have been hospitalized.
Locally, Marion County is reporting 30,397 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 75 in a 24-hour period. There have been 948 deaths and 2,099 people have been hospitalized. A total of 128,442 people have been vaccinated, with 93,873 receiving both doses.
Ocala is reporting 22,216 cases – an overnight increase of 55 – which amounts to 73 percent of the total number of cases reported in Marion County. Others have been identified in Summerfield (1,896), Dunnellon (1,404), Belleview (1,346), Silver Springs (667), Ocklawaha (505), Citra (499), Fort McCoy (311), Reddick (307), Anthony (291), Weirsdale (247), The Villages (183), Salt Springs (50), Flemington (34), McIntosh (30), Orange Lake (25), Sparr (25), Candler (20), Lowell (19), East Lake (12), Fairfield (8) and Orange Springs (8).
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 68,407 – increase of 190
- Deaths: 1,843
- Hospitalizations: 4,172
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 28,814 – increase of 93
- Deaths: 622
- Hospitalizations: 1,500
- Vaccinations: 158,481 (116,068 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (7,705), Leesburg (4,329), Eustis (2,514), Mount Dora (2,116) and Tavares (2,007).
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 9,196 – increase of 22
- Deaths: 273
- Hospitalizations: 573
- Vaccinations: 82,506 (68,847 both doses)
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (4,232), Wildwood (1,070), Bushnell (1,013), Coleman (851) and Oxford (533).