Published on August 7, 2025 at 10:14 pm
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As the first round of COVID babies prepares to head to kindergarten next week, COVID is not staying in the rearview mirror on Florida’s First Coast. In fact, the Jacksonville area is reporting COVID case numbers higher than they’ve been in almost a year. Our Number of the Week is the increase in cases between June and July in Duval County: nearly double.
193%
Duval County saw about 1,500 reported cases of COVID in July — no comparison to the county’s all-time record of 61,591 in January 2022 but still the most reported since September 2024. Florida has seen a spike in cases every six months or so since the pandemic started — with the notable exception of this winter, when there was no visible increase in January.
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Still, a week-by-week view of reported cases across the state this year shows that the numbers are creeping up again now.
This summer, Duval’s COVID rate is a little higher than the statewide rate of about one case per 659 residents.
And unfortunately, some of those cases are still fatal.
So far this year, more than 1,200 people statewide have died of COVID, according to state Department of Heath figures. Duval County ranks No. 13 for COVID deaths out of the state’s 67 counties, with 38 of those deaths.
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The CDC continues to recommend COVID immunizations, especially “if you are ages 65 and older, are at high risk for severe COVID-19, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine.” The shots are available at doctor’s offices, hospitals and pharmacies including Publix, Walgreens and CVS.
