COVID upswing in North Florida brings some concern

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Just when it felt like the coronavirus pandemic was waning, cases of the virus are on the rise again.

One local health official in Tallahassee says it may be time to wear those masks again. In Florida, the latest numbers show a statewide positivity rate of almost 20%.

WCTV went to the FAMU testing site Wednesday, where people are saying this new variant has snuck up on them.

The latest numbers show the positivity rate in Leon County is 30%, while some other North Florida counties are closer to 40%.

COVID hospitalizations have also gone up locally as Florida Capital Hospital has reported 12 hospitalizations as of Wednesday, July 13.

TMH reports three people hospitalized because of COVID and 19 total in care that have tested positive for COVID as of Wednesday as well.

FAMU’s Director of Student Health believes it’s because of new variants.

“It’s certainly much more contagious than the others but this one I think is a little more different than the BA.2 we had earlier in January,” explained FAMU Director of Student Health Tanya Tatum. “This one has the possibility of more serious illness and I think it more settles in the respiratory area so it’s a little bit more concerning I think.”

Tatum says the FAMU testing site has gone from administering 200 COVID tests a day a few weeks ago to now doing up to 800 a day.

All these numbers, though, are still way below peaks during the worst of the pandemic.

Tatum recommends that everyone goes back to their CDC-approved masks and wants to remind viewers vaccines are still available to be administered.

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