TAMPA, Fla. — Vaccinations continue by the thousands every day in the Tampa Bay area.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Who is eligible; where you can get vaccinated in the Tampa Bay area
But the number of positive cases in Hillsborough County still has Tampa Mayor Jane Castor saying we are in a race to stay ahead of COVID-19 variants.
“We have hit a plateau with our positivity rate, which is indicative of another surge upwards," said Castor.
USF Professor Dr. Jason Salemi studies the latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health.
He says Hillsborough County did see a 12% rise in positive cases in the last week from 302 cases to 340.
“So right now this is just a let's monitor it. It seems more like a plateauing than any real sort of increase," said Salemi.
Experts are worried after seeing massive Spring Break crowds in South Florida and on our local beaches.
Dr. Salemi says even though the people may be at low risk, they are coming from all over the country and could take the virus back to those who are more vulnerable.
“Everybody has COVID fatigue, especially college students who love to party. Spring Break is something that is supposed to really be fun for people and they want to get together and they want to let loose. It’s just a dangerous mix now.”
Dr. Salmei says we can’t let up now with safety precautions, but he is encouraged by the number of people getting vaccinated.
