Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to climb

The number of Florida hospital inpatients with COVID-19 continued to gradually increase in data released Monday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The data showed that 1,352 inpatients had COVID-19, up from 1,303 in a Friday count.

The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive-care units, however, remained stable.

Monday’s data showed 104 patients needing intensive care, up from 103 on Friday. Inpatient totals have increased in recent weeks as the overall reported numbers of COVID-19 cases have gone up.

But hospitalizations and case numbers remain far lower than early in the year, when the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus spread through the state.