Two new COVID-19 deaths reported in Manatee. Statewide, more than 250 have died
Two additional Manatee County residents who tested positive for COVID-19 have died, according to the Florida Department of Health.
They were among 33 new deaths announced statewide on Monday. A total of 254 people have now died in Florida since the outbreak began.
The state health department also confirmed more than 1,200 new infections statewide, bringing the total in Florida to 13,629.
Manatee County now has 145 confirmed cases of the virus, including nine new cases announced Monday. Five residents have died. Eighteen of the Manatee County residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus lived in long-term care facilities, but the Manatee Department of Health has not provided details about which facilities.
In Manatee County, 982 people have been tested, with about 15 percent of those testing positive.
Sarasota County has 159 confirmed cases of the virus, including 19 announced Monday. There have been 1,367 people tested, with about 11 percent testing positive. Seven people have died there.
Statewide there have been more 126,000 people tested, with 10.8 percent of them testing positive.
Manatee’s health officer, Dr. Jennifer Bencie, said more than two weeks ago that a lack of sufficient specimen collection kits and personal protection equipment was to blame for a lower rate of testing in Manatee County. The department has been unable to provide an answer as to why Manatee County has not been considered critical even though it had the state’s first case, which was community acquired, and testing has been extremely limited.
The Bradenton Herald asked about what that need was two weeks ago, and received a response from Bencie on Saturday. The question was one of several in the first and only interview with Bencie approved by the Florida Deparment of Health. The questions had to be submitted by email.
“We work with our state and local partners in public health to ensure that we have the necessary supplies required for every person in Manatee County who meets the CDC criteria for testing of COVID-19, gets tested,” Bencie said. “DOH-Manatee is working with all of our state and local partners to ensure that every individual (who meets) the latest CDC criteria regarding COVID-19 testing receives a test.”
Meanwhile, IHME model projections are now predicting Florida will hit its peak on April 21, not May 2 like previously predicted. Sarasota is among the counties where models are already predicting hospitals will be overrun with COVID-19 patients.
“In Sarasota and Lee County the modeling is showing they will have bed shortages. The data on a day-to-day basis is showing that as well,” Kevin Guthrie, Florida State Emergency Response Center director, said during a state briefing Monday morning. “We are prepared to mobilize more resources into that area.”
Just more than half of all the Manatee cases are residents who live in one of the following zip codes: 34202, 34203 and 34208. Those zip codes are made up of Samoset, Oneco and parts of East and South Bradenton.
Cases continue to skew younger that earlier cases in Manatee County. The breakdown by age ranges are as follow:
- Ages 5 to 14: 2 residents positive
- Ages 15 to 24: 5 residents positive
- Ages 25 to 34: 17 residents positive
- Ages 35 to 44: 17 residents positive
- Ages 45 to 54: 29 residents positive
- Ages 55 to 64: 22 residents positive
- Ages 64 to 74: 29 residents positive
- Ages 75 to 8: 22 residents positive
- Ages 85 and over: 2 residents positive
Hillsborough County continues to outpace other counties in the Tampa Bay area with 575 people testing positive out of the 8,762 who have been tested. In Pinellas County, there are 372 people who have tested positive out of the 6,581 tested.
Miami Herald reporter Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 11:50 AM.
