Three more Manatee County residents die from COVID-19 as state death toll reaches 1,218
Three more Manatee County residents have have died from COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Statewide, there were 47 new deaths reported on Wednesday morning. Florida’s death toll from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, now stands at 1,218.
In Manatee County, there have now been 49 people confirmed dead as a result of the disease.
Four new cases of people in Manatee County testing positive for the coronavirus were reported Wednesday, making a total of 567 local cases. Statewide, the number of cases has hit 33,193.
More testing in Manatee
Manatee County could see a spike in cases in the near future with the reopening of it’s drive-thru testing facility at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto on Wednesday. Although appointments are still required, the Manatee Department of Health eliminated the need for those seeking testing to have an order from their doctor.
The testing site will be open again Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., taking up to 80 appointments per day. To make an appointment, call 941-748-0747.
“We’re just so privileged and pleased to have a team of strike nurses who specialize in infectious disease control, who have come in from outside of Manatee County ... to help us with this testing site,” said Manatee Department of Health spokesman Christopher Tittel.
Testing was going more smoothly Wednesday morning compared to last month’s four-day testing event at the site. Lines were shorter and the testing was being completed more quickly.
According to IEM model 7-day projections, Manatee County is predicted to have 576 positive cases by Thursday and reach 602 cases by Tuesday.
The projections can’t account for the spike that might come with increased testing at the drive-thru siteand at MCR Health.
Manatee County continues to have the highest death toll outside of South Florida in its long-term care facilities. As of Wednesday, 24 deaths have been confirmed in the six skilled nursing homes and three assisted living facilities with confirmed cases in Manatee.
In Sarasota County, there have been 338 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Forty-two people in Sarasota County have died from COVID-19.
Hillsborough County now has 1,105 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus. The death toll stands at 23.
In Pinellas County, 34 people have died from COVID-19. There have been 718 people who have tested postive for the coronavirus.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 10:59 AM.
