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Friday, March 29, 2024

Marion County averaged over 405 new COVID-19 cases a day, saw 20% reduction in vaccines last week

Marion County health officials say the county is averaging a record high 405 new COVID-19 cases a day and saw a 20% reduction in people who received the vaccine last week over the previous week.

The new data is part of a statewide COVID-19 update from the Florida Department of Health released on Saturday. The report shows that there have been 44,028 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in Marion County as of Thursday, August 19.

According to the report, from August 13 to August 19, the county averaged 405.7 new cases per day and a 30% positivity rate. A total of 2,840 new COVID-19 cases were reported during the week.

During the first week of August, 4,507 people were vaccinated. That number increased during the second week of August (4,740), before it took a 20% dive last week to 3,756.

Over the past several weeks, the average number of new cases per day has steadily risen in Marion County.

During the first week of July, the county saw just under 36 new COVID-19 cases per day. During the first week of August, that number increased 10-fold to over 343 new cases per day. The new average represents an increase of 7% over the previous week.

“The number of cases per day continues to rise in Marion County, while the number of people getting vaccinated decreased this week. There are many places where you can get the vaccine for free, including the health department. Vaccines are still the best tool for preventing serious illness from COVID-19,” said Florida Department of Health in Marion County Administrator Mark Lander.

Access the full Florida Department of Health COVID-19 weekly update.

Visit the Florida Department of Health COVID-19 webpage and use the Vaccine Locator to find vaccination sites near you.Â