COVID-19 in Collier County: State reports 148 new cases, three additional deaths

The Florida Department of Health reported 148 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths in Collier County on Tuesday.

The three newly reported deaths were identified by the state as follows:

• An 80-year-old woman who had contact with a known case and whose positive case was counted by the state on Nov. 10.
• An 87-year-old woman (Case counted Nov. 20).
• A 77-year-old man who had contact with a known case (Case counted Nov. 23).

Collier County's cumulative total of COVID-19 fatalities increased to 279, 17th highest among Florida counties. Of those deaths, 121 were either residents or staff of nursing homes.

So far in November, 23 Collier County residents have been counted as COVID-related deaths. Not all of these people died in November. However, their cause of death being related to COVID-19 was recorded by the Department of Health in November. 

The new cases increased Collier's cumulative total to 17,095, 11th most among Florida counties. The county has added 2,508 cases so far in November, surpassing the total of 1,836 for all of October.

Collier's moving seven-day average for new cases was 131 through Monday, 60% higher than the average on Nov. 1 (82).

The seven-day average case rate is the average of a day and the previous six days of COVID-19 cases. This rate is recognized as a more accurate measure of the spread of coronavirus in a community. That's because it minimizes the impact of a single day with a very high or very low number of cases.

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Collier's seven-day average for reported COVID-19 tests was 1,299 through Monday, 27% greater than the seven-day average on Nov. 1 (1,024). However, the number is 12% fewer than the county's peak average on July 17 (1,474). The rate is the average of a day and the previous six days of COVID-19 tests.

Collier's seven-day average positivity rate was 10.25% through Monday, 1.7 percentage points higher than the same average on Nov. 1 (8.55%). The rate is the average of a day and the previous six days of COVID-19 cases divided by tests.

A total of 1,103 people in Collier County have been hospitalized for COVID-19 as of Tuesday, according to the report, but that number does not reflect the people currently in the hospital, according to the Florida Department of Health. So far this month, the state has reported 103 new COVID-related hospitalizations in Collier, compared to 88 for all of October.  

As of approximately 11 a.m. Tuesday, there were 76 COVID-19 patients in Collier County hospitals, according to data from Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration.  That's one fewer patient than was reported at approximately the same time Monday. The county also had 13.9% of its total hospital beds available and 27.4% of its adult ICU beds available, according to the AHCA. Florida's available percentages were 24.2% (hospital beds) and 21.8% (ICU beds), respectively. The AHCA also reported a total of 3,787 COVID-patients statewide as of 11 a.m. Tuesday. That's 32 more patients than at approximately the same time Monday.

The Florida Department of Health is not reporting how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Other numbers include the following demographics breakdown for Florida residents:

Age

• Age Range: 0 to 104
• Median Age: 42

Gender

• Male: 8,220
• Female: 8,472
• Unknown/No data: 64

Race

• Black: 910
• White: 9,182
• Other: 1,778
• Unknown/No Data: 4,886

Ethnicity

• Hispanic: 5,906
• Non-Hispanic: 6,211
• Unknown/No Data: 4,639

Residency

• Residents: 16,756
• Non-residents: 339

City of residence (if known)

• Naples: 13,617
• Immokalee: 2,516
• Marco Island: 371
• Ave Maria: 163
• Ochopee: 50
• Goodland: 11
• Missing: 9
• Chokoloskee: 3
• Everglades City: 3

Tests reported for Collier (through Nov. 23)

• Total tested: 106,435
• Positive: 17,095
• Negative: 89,340
• Percent positive: 16.06%
• Note: The Florida Department of Health has removed cumulative testing data from its COVID dashboard but the data can be viewed here.

View yesterday's report. View yesterday's line list of cases and deaths.