COVID-19 cases in Polk County continue rising this month following two less-active months. The seven-day rolling average of new cases stands at 163.6 per day, compared with monthly averages of 100.3 in October, 100.2 in September and 146.3 in August.
UNEMPLOYMENT in Polk registered at 7.3% in October, a drop from 7.9% the previous month but still more than double the year-ago figure of 3.4%. With tourism particularly hard hit, Polk’s rate is the fifth worse in Florida.