The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have updated their COVID-19 dashboard following a few days of no data due to the New Year holiday period. The data shows that Florida is continuing to set records as it relates to COVID-19 as Omicron continues to surge.
According to the CDC, Florida set a new single-day record on December 30th with 75,902 confirmed COVID-19 cases. That 75,902 figure represents the third-highest single-day tally from any state during the entire pandemic. Only New York City and the state of California have recorded higher single-day totals. Here’s the data since Christmas, from the CDC:
| Date | COVID-19 Cases | 7-Day Moving Average |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2022 | 51,644 | 54,394 |
| Jan 2, 2022 | 39,797 | 51,802 |
| Jan 1, 2022 | 45,838 | 50,270 |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 56,719 | 46,718 |
| Dec 30, 2021 | 75,902 | 42,606 |
| Dec 29, 2021 | 57,967 | 36,361 |
| Dec 28, 2021 | 52,892 | 32,077 |
| Dec 27, 2021 | 33,503 | 27,522 |
| Dec 26, 2021 | 29,072 | 24,875 |
| Dec 25, 2021 | 20,974 | 22,285 |
As you can see, Florida is also setting records for the 7-day moving average. During the Delta surge over the summer, the 7-day moving average hit a high of 21,640. Now, the Omicron surge high is set at 54,394.
Even though experts largely agree that the Omicron variant is a more mild variant than Delta, hospitalizations are surging. Yesterday alone, an astonishing 1,324 new hospitalizations were attributed to COVID-19, according to data from the Florida Hospital Association.
During the peak of the Delta surge over the summer, there was a peak of 17,121 COVID-19 hospitalizations – certainly more than the Omicron surge presently.
At Walt Disney World, there have been zero changes or responses to the record-setting Omicron variant. Face masks are still required indoors, but there are virtually no other mitigation efforts in effect. Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel has not penned a health and safety update since July 2020, with the exception of a May 2021 article about vaccines featuring The Muppets.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!