As omicron diminishes, COVID hospitalizations still twice as high as before the variant arrived in Florida

However, Florida counties such as Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee, and Highlands, as well as a group of nine counties in the Alachua area, are still classified as “high” transmission. The CDC wants Americans to follow safety guidelines based on transmission levels for their county. High levels indicate residents should “wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status.”