Most of South Florida remains at medium risk of COVID-19 according to the weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The report, online at covid.cdc.gov, is update weekly on Thursdays. Miami-Dade County is a high risk. Indian River County and Brevard County are at low risk.

The CDC bases risk on factors such as the number of hopsital beds occupied by covid-positive patients, the number of ICU beds available and recent covid positive cases.

Since many people now use home tests, and home tests were provided free by the U.S. Government by mail, the number of covid-positive cases can be misleading, since it does not include those who test themselves at home.

For the seven day period ending Jan. 4, Okeechobee County had 23 new positive cases. According to CDC data, 55,8% of the population over the age of 5 is vaccinated with 95% of the population over age 65 vaccinated.

For the seven-day period ending, Saturday, Jan. 7, there were five new admissions of confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized.

Hendry County had 29 new covid-positive cases for the week ending Jan. 4. For the seven-day period ending Jan. 7, Hendry County had seven new confirmed-positive COVID-19 hospitalizations.

According to the CDC, 63.8 percent of the Hendry County population over the age of 5 has been vaccinated with 95% of the population over age 65 vaccinated.

Glades County had fewer than 10 new covid-postive cases for the seven-day period ending Jan. 4. Glades County does not have a hospital.

According to the CDC, 42% of the Glades County population over the age of 5 has been vaccinated with 52.4% of the population over age 65 vaccinated.

Palm Beach County had 1474 new covid cases for the seven-day period ending Jan. 4, and 10 new covid deaths for that week. Palm Beach County had 195 new admissions of confirmed COVID-19 positive patients.

According to the CDC 79.5% of the Palm Beach County population over the age of 5 has been vaccinated with 95% of the population over the age of 65 vaccinated.

For those in counties with medium risk, the CDC advises:
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
• Get tested if you have symptoms.
• Wear a mask if you have symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19. W
• Wear a mask on public transportation. You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.

• If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider wearing a mask indoors in public and taking additional precautions.

As general health and safety precautions, the CDC advises:
• Wash your hands frequently and thoughly each day.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Keep children at home if they are sick.
• Consult your doctor regarding any special precautions you should consider based on your personal health history.