COVID-19 in Manatee County jumps by a record 288 new cases. Florida also sets a record

COVID-19, which has been ravaging Florida and Manatee County in recent weeks as the state and county emerged from shutdowns and quarantine, spiked by the largest numbers yet on Saturday.

The Florida Department of Health on Saturday reported 11,445 new coronavirus infections in Florida, and 288 new cases in Manatee — both daily record high counts. The previous highs, respectively, were 10,109 on Thursday, and 267 on June 27.

As of Saturday, there were 190,052 recorded cases of COVID-19 in Florida, and 3,554 in Manatee County..

Eighteen deaths were newly reported statewide, raising Florida’s death toll to 3,702. The death toll in Manatee County stayed at 131.

The health department Saturday reported the results of 85,086 new tests statewide, with a positivity rate of 15.8 percent — which suggests community spread of the COVID-19 respiratory disease. It was the highest daily number of test results reported since at least June 20.

In Manatee, 2,813 new test results were reported, with a positivity rate of 10.2 percent. Positivity rates have remained above 10 percent for the past eight days with the exception of July 2, when it was 9.7 percent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s targeted level is 9 percent.

There have been 44,856 residents tested in Manatee County, with an overall positivity rate since the pandemic began of 8.8 percent.

Florida’s positively rate has remained above 12 percent for the past nine days.

The median age of those infected in Manatee County also continues to drop. The median age hovered in the high 50s at the outset of the pandemic and as of Saturday was 39 years old. Hospitalizations since the outbreak reached 280 on Saturday.

The percentage of positive cases in long-term care facility cases continues to drop. As of Saturday, 485 patients have tested positive since the outbreak, representing 14 percent of the overall cases. Long-term care patients represent the majority of deaths based on the state’s weekly update, which is 87 fatalities, the seventh highest in the state..

COVID-19 cases in surrounding counties:

• Sarasota County — cases increased from 1,814 to 2,059, while the death toll remained at 98.

• DeSoto County — cases increased from 676 to 733, while the death toll remained at 10.

• Hardee County — cases increased from 496 to 504, while the death toll remained at three.

• Hillsborough County — cases increased from 13,044 to 13,700, while the death toll increased from 148 to 150.

• Pinellas County — cases increased from 7,697 to 8,116, while the death toll increased from 183 to 184..

This story was originally published July 4, 2020 at 11:16 AM.