95% of Florida’s ICU beds in use, even as COVID-19 cases start to decline

ORLANDO, Fla. — Hospitalizations for COVID-19 continued to decline in Florida after peaking Wednesday.

The decline comes as vaccination rates across Central Florida continue to increase and COVID-19 cases decrease.

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The news comes as hospitals across the state are reporting ICUs at or above capacity, with at least nine Central Florida hospitals out of bed space.

“ICU use is still high, but as cases start to drop, we are still contending with very ill individuals in the hospital with COVID-19 who are in intensive care,” said Mary Mayhew, of the Florida Hospital Association. “It is going to take some time before we see a decrease there.”

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Statewide, 95% of ICU beds are in use, even as hospitalizations decline.

“If you look at the numbers, admissions to hospitals for COVID-19 are down,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a news conference Monday. “Visits to the emergency department for COVID-like illness are down.”

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COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped by about 300 each day for the last five days.

If that trend continues, it won’t be until mid-October before the state would dip below 2,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations total.

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