Another COVID-19 death in Manatee County. More than 320 people have died in Florida
An eighth person has died in Manatee County after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health. It is the fifth local death reported this week.
The state health department also confirmed eight new cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County and 11 new cases in Sarasota County on Wednesday. They were among 951 new cases in Florida.
A total of 172 people in Manatee County have now tested positive for the new coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. In Sarasota County, 184 people have tested positive.
Florida had 15,698 cases, according to the latest data released by the state health department on Wednesday evening.
Statewide, the death toll stood at 323. One additional death was announced in Manatee and one in Sarasota on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths to eight in each county. Additional deaths caused by COVID-19 were confirmed in Broward, Dade, Highlands, Monroe, Palm Beach and Pinellas counties.
In Sarasota, 66 people have been hospitalized, compared to 38 in Manatee County. Statewide hospitalizations are approaching 2,000. State emergency management is expecting a peak of severe cases to overwhelm hospitals in some counties, including Manatee and Sarasota, sometime before May 2.
The number of residents in long-term facilities who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Manatee County was 26. Only five counties have more cases of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Duval and Suwannee counties. As of Wednesday morning, the state health department reported 415 cases of residents or staff at the facilities testing positive.
In Manatee County, there are 54 licensed skilled nursing homes or assisted living facilities, but state and local health department officials have declined to release the names of which facilities have cases of the disease.
In Hillsborough County, there have been 631 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus. A total of 99 people required hospitalization and seven have died.
In Pinellas County, there have been 395 people who have tested positive. A total of 72 people required hospitalization and 10 have died.
For the latest statistics on COVID-19 in Florida and Manatee County, check back with Bradenton.com
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 11:39 AM.
