Manatee County has four new coronavirus cases. State has over 5,700 cases
An additional four cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Manatee County on Monday as the number of cases statewide climbed by 754 people.
The number of cases in Manatee County could soon rise further as results return from the four-day drive-thru testing event at the Bradenton Area Convention Center that wrapped up on Sunday.
As of Monday evening, Manatee County has 42 residents who have tested positive out of 352 people tested. One patient, a 70-year-old man, has died.
The newest four cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County were found in residents aged 64, 72, 77 and 86, according to a provisional report from the state health department. A majority of those who have tested positive in the county, 29 out of 42 people, are Bradenton residents.
A total of 5,473 people statewide have tested positive for the coronavirus. South Florida, where testing is more widely available, continues to remain the hotspot in Florida.
Sarasota County had six new cases announced on Monday. It currently has 67 cases out of 835 people tested. Two people have died in Sarasota County.
Hillsborough continues to have the highest number of cases in the Tampa Bay region, with 272 people testing positive out of the 4,192 tests that have been completed. Two COVID-19 deaths have been confirmed there. In Pinellas County, there are 129 people who have tested positive out of 2,513 tests completed. Five COVID-19 deaths have been confirmed there.
The drive-thru testing facility at the Bradenton Area Convention Center collected 197 specimens between Thursday and Sunday. The testing was limited because the Manatee Department of Health only had 200 specimen collection kits for the facility, so those tested had to set up an appointment ahead of time and already have a doctor’s order for the test.
According to the Manatee Department of Health, turnaround time for those tests was expected to be about four days.
Testing remains limited at Manatee County hospitals. As of Monday morning, Manatee Memorial had tested a total of 17 people, with one positive case. Lakewood Ranch Memorial has tested 22 people, with four of those people being positive for the coronavirus, and Blake Medical Center has tested two people, with both of them being positive.
This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 11:55 AM.
