6,624 new Florida coronavirus cases reported Sunday; 97 new deaths

Vaccine registration overhaul in Pinellas County

Frozen websites, busy phone lines, and wasted time. For weeks, it has been first come first served in Pinellas County for folks trying to secure a slot for a COVID vaccine.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health says the number of known cases of COVID-19 in the state rose by 6,624 Sunday. According to the state's daily update, the total number of cases in Florida is now 1,777,983.

The number of Florida resident deaths has reached 27,696, an increase of 97 since Saturday's update. In addition, a total of 465 non-Floridians have died in the state.

Locally, Pinellas County is reporting four new deaths, Hillsborough County is reporting three, Manatee County is reporting two and Citrus and Sumter Counties are each reporting one new death.

Of the 1,777,983 cases, 1,745,744 are Florida residents while 32,239 are non-Florida residents in the state.

Bay Area COVID-19 cases by the numbers:

Hillsborough: 103,599
Pinellas: 61,546
Sarasota: 25,449
Manatee: 29,466
Sumter: 7,380
Polk: 52,533
Citrus: 9,037
Hernando: 10,305
Pasco: 30,641
Highlands: 6,713
DeSoto: 3,473
Hardee: 2,648

Source: Florida Department of Health

The state is not reporting a total number of "recovered" coronavirus patients. As of Sunday, the number of Floridians currently hospitalized for a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 was 5,382 with the state reporting a total of 74,412 hospitalized for treatment at some point.

Vaccination efforts continue across the state. Saturday, 11,465 more patients received their first vaccine dose in Florida, for a total of 1,326,136. Meanwhile, 18,308 more people received their second and final dose, meaning 667,830 have completed both rounds.

Source: Florida Department of Health

The number of new cases had generally been trending down in the fall, mirroring the number of tests being given. But it has begun to increase again.

The rate of positive new tests has declined from its summertime peak, remaining below 10% for several months, but it reached that point again during the holiday season and into 2021. It was at 6.82% on Saturday, the most recent date available.

After peaking in July, the number of deaths also began a downward trend in August that continued until November -- though "significant delays" in data reporting, as the state says, make interpreting short-term trends from that statistic less reliable.

COVID UPDATES: Download the free FOX 13 News app for ongoing updates

Source: Florida Department of Health

PDF: DOH's full county-by-county COVID-19 case report

Editor's note: The number of new cases and deaths reported each day does not necessarily reflect the day that the case was confirmed. The state says some private testing labs dump large batches of test results which include cases from previous days, and data can take days or weeks to validate. Stats for today and previous days will likely change in the future as the state reviews more cases and updates retroactive data.

The state's number of deaths represents permanent Florida residents who have died from COVID-19.

MAP: Florida coronavirus cases by county

Doctor debunks mask myths

Dr. Joette Giovinco goes over some of the more prevalent myths about masks and COVID-19.

If you feel sick:

The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website

CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: What you need to know

AROUND THE WORLD: CoronavirusNOW.com

Map of known COVID-19 cases:

MOBILE APP USERS: Click here for map