Now that over 10 million Florida residents have received a COVID-19 vaccine, the state Department of Health has changed its daily coronavirus data updates to weekly reports.
On Friday, Department spokesperson Weesam Khoury wrote in an email, “Florida is transitioning into the next phase of the COVID-19 response.”
Since May 28, the state’s new case positivity rate (the rate of those testing positive) is at a low of 3.6%, another reason the department decided to make a change.
With the state seeming to emerge from the worst of the pandemic, might UF change to weekly updates?
According to the latest health department report, 55% of Alachua County residents have been vaccinated with at least one dose, making it the Florida county with the 12th highest vaccination rate. The county had a case positivity rate of 2.6% during the last week in May and first in June.
The university has reported only six positive tests since May 26.
Its daily reports will continue, a spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
"We are not anticipating any changes to the UF Health Screen, Test & Protect Dashboard at this time," Ken Garcia told WUFT.
Florida State University switched to weekly updates back in October 2020, and has reported zero cases since May 17.
The Screen, Test and Protect program began collecting coronavirus data back in August and has continued to track and provide updates for the campus ever since.
Daily updates have been useful to health professionals, doctors, media and the general public who need the data.
Other Florida institutions that continue to provide daily updates are the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University.
