TALLAHASSEE – Deaths this year linked to COVID-19 rose to 5,768 with a 284 increase in November, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Meanwhile, cases are the lowest since the pandemic began in 2020.  

The previous month the increase was 703.

For 11 months that averages to 524 monthly.

Since the pandemic hit the state in 2020, there have been 98,744 fatalities.

That year, Florida had reported 23,349 deaths, according to state data. The number jumped to 39,870 in 2021, declining to 21,307 in 2022 and then 8,442 in 2023.

The largest number of deaths this year was reported in Miami-Dade County with 512, followed by 437 in Palm Beach County and 351 in Pinellas County.  

In the past week there were 1,787 cases compared with 1,453 the week before, the lowest since 358 on March 3, 2020 at the start of the pandemic when few tests were available. The high this year was 23,772 on July 19 

In 2023, the weekly low was 4,441 on Nov. 17 and the high was 28,162 on Jan. 6.

The most ever was 428,380 on Jan. 7, 2022.

Cases reached 8,18.237 including 412,947 so far this year. These are only infections reported to the state and often doesn’t include at-home tests. Weekly cases are adjusted as more data come in.  

The most weekly cases was 393,672 on Dec. 31, 2021.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer tracks cases and deaths have transitioned to the National Center for Health Statistics. Those stats show Florida with 85,148, behind California with 115,210, Texas with 106,457 and New York with 85,523.

So far, 32 panthers have died, mostly getting hit by vehicles on increasingly busy roads in their stronghold in southwest Florida. 

Traci Deen is president of the environmental group Conservation Florida. She says what little habitat the cats have left is becoming increasing squeezed by new developments and roads to funnel traffic to them. 

“The population in Florida is somewhere between 130 maybe to 230. So losing 32 panthers in one year is a tremendous loss to the Florida panther population,” she said. “It could represent, you know, over 10 percent of those population in our states. It’s devastating.” 

Deen said protecting natural lands along their migratory routes is the best way to ensure that panthers can thrive in the future.

“If we want our state animal to not only survive but thrive now and into the future, land conservation has to be a huge part of that solution,” she said, “and we need all Floridians to get involved and let it be known that this matters and support land conservation across the state.” 

Deen says creating highway underpasses that allow animals like the panther to safely migrate along wildlife corridors is another way to help preserve the species far into the future. 

She said panthers need 200 to 400 square miles to roam, but every single day 1,000 new Floridians move to the state. One way to protect them is to help preserve the Florida Wildlife Corridor: an 18 million-acre network of green spaces that panthers call home. Ten million acres are protected, but eight million acres of this corridor are still at risk for development.

Last week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced today that the remains of a juvenile male Florida panther had been found in Glades County. It’s thought that the panther was killed by a vehicle collision.

“This little panther’s tragic death illustrates the dire need for wildlife officials and state lawmakers to save this species before it’s too late,” said Jason Totoiu at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Development keeps eating away at the little bit of habitat left in southwest Florida, and it’s remarkable this panther made it this far north. It appears this animal tried hard to find safe passage through a narrow strand of habitat only to be hit by a car.

“We can’t keep hoping that panthers run the gauntlet north to get to safer ground. We need the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to act on its long-stated vision and work with Florida officials to move panthers north of the Caloosahatchee River. State lawmakers need to establish dedicated funding for wildlife crossings that are strategically placed to facilitate movement. Many states have done this already, and Florida needs to follow suit.”

The Florida State Seminoles are going through a transitioning period after a 2-10 season in which offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, wide receivers coach Ron Dugans, and linebackers coach Randy Shannon parted ways with the program.

The winter window of the 2024 NCAA Transfer Portal is open and there have been numerous roster shifts across the country, in particular within the FSU locker room.

The ‘Noles currently have 22 players in the portal, with the latest addition being quarterback Dylan McNamara. The move marks the second quarterback to announce their plans to transfer on Tuesday after an unexpected announcement that Luke Kromenhoek plans to depart the program.

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McNamara worked with the scout team his entire career at Florida State after joining the Seminoles in 2022. He redshirted his first season and will have two years of eligibility left as he tests the waters of other programs looking for someone new under center.

McNamara came in as a 2-star prospect out of Barron Collier High in Naples, FL. He accounted for nearly 3,400 yards of total offense, passing for 3,184 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 199 yards and six touchdowns at the prep level.

The 6-foot-2, 222-pound quarterback is the eighth walk-on from FSU’s roster to enter the portal since the conclusion of the season, joining redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Grant, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Carson Pielock, redshirt sophomore defensive end Dante Anderson, redshirt senior defensive end Malakai Menzer, redshirt freshman defensive end Xaver Perkins, true freshman tight end Nick Roebas-Bass, and redshirt freshman defensive back Jayden Bradford.

Florida State is projected to return one scholarship quarterback for the 2025 season; redshirt sophomore Brock Glenn

The Seminoles signed four-star Kevin Sperry during the Early Signing Period.

On the first day of the winter portal window, FSU reportedly set up a visit with Boston College quarterback transfer Boston College and is looking to do the same with Liberty quarterback transfer Kaidon Salter.

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