Manatee County has 16 new COVID-19 cases. State has more than 22,500 total cases
Manatee County has 16 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19. The statewide total is now more than 22,500, according to the Florida Department of Health, including 891 new cases confirmed Wednesday.
There are 277 people who have tested positive for the new coronavirus in Manatee County as of Wednesday evening. The death toll in the county remained at 19.
Statewide, there were 22,511 cases of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. The death toll was at 614. An additional 43 deaths were reported Wednesday, including in Sarasota, Broward, Dade, Lee, Palm Beach, Sumter and Volusia counties.
The number of cases in long-term care facilities continues to rise, with 43 cases reported in Manatee County facilities. Statewide there were 1,222 cases in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other similar centers.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office and the Florida Department of Health continue to block the release of the names of facilities linked to COVID-19 cases.
In Sarasota County, there were 12 more cases reported for a total of 253 people who have tested positive for the virus. One new death was reported, bringing the county’s death toll to 17.
In the Tampa Bay area, Hillsborough County had 869 confirmed cases of COVID-19. In Pinellas County, there were 513 confirmed cases.
A higher percentage of people tested for COVID-19 in Manatee County are positive than elsewhere in the Tampa Bay area. The test positive rate in Manatee County rose to 14.9 percent on Wednesday, compared to 9.7 percent in Sarasota County, 6.5 percent in Hillsborough County and 5.4 in Pinellas County.
Elevated test positive rates can indicate that an area remains undertested for the disease.
A report released Wednesday by the Tampa Bay Partnership, a business advocacy organization, analyzed the latest COVID-19 statistics. The report highlighted the lower levels of testing Manatee and Sarasota counties compared to elsewhere in the bay area.
‘Residents of Manatee and Sarasota counties may be more likely than the average Tampa Bay resident to have the coronavirus, and less likely to have been tested for it,” the report stated.
Both counties have a higher proportion of older adults who are more susceptible to severe cases of the disease, the analysis found.
“Widespread testing will be key to understanding the full extent of the pandemic, and eventually reopening the economy,” the report stated. “More than 35,000 COVID-19 tests have been administered in Tampa Bay, with over 60 percent of the tests conducted in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. This disproportionate testing may suggest a greater risk of underdiagnosis in counties such as Manatee, Polk and Sarasota.”
The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County will offer mobile testing by appointment for North Sarasota residents on Friday. The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County has not announced any further public testing since a drive-thru testing site closed at the end of March.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 11:47 AM.
