Three more COVID-19 deaths at Manatee County long-term care facilities
Three more Manatee County residents have died from COVID-19 and they all lived or worked in a long-term care facility in the county.
The new deaths, as well as 105 new cases, were reported in the latest data released by the Florida Department of Health on Tuesday . Across the state, 7,347 new cases were reported.
The death toll in Manatee County now stands at 135.
Statewide, there 63 new deaths reported from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The state’s official death now stands at 3,841.
A total of 3,890 people total have been infected with the virus iin Manatee County since the start of the pandemic. Statewide, there have been 213,794 people infected.
Skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities now account for 90 of the COVID-19 deaths in Manatee County. They now account for 502, or about 13%t, of the county’s total cases.
The overall percent positive of cases continues to climb as new cases surge. In Manatee County, that rate is now 8.2%, while statewide, the rate is 9.4%.
More alarmingly to experts and local officials across the state has been the daily positive rate for new cases. In Manatee County. The positive rate for the test results released on Tuesday was 17.9%.
Statewide, Tuesday’s news cases had a record 20.8% positive rate.
Under pressure to provide current hospitalization data for COVID-19 cases, the state recently said it would start providing it but has yet to follow through on that promise. When pressed by reporters at a press conference in Miami on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to answer the question as to when that data would be provided.
Reports released by FDOH only provide a total number of hospitalizations since the beginning of the pandemic. From Monday to Tuesday that number jumped by 23 in Manatee County, with a total of 308 people overall having been hospitalized locally.
Surrounding counties:
- Sarasota County: Cases increased from 2,191 to 2,249. The death toll remained at 98.
- Desoto County: Cases increased from 752 to 760. The death toll remained at 10.
- Hardee County: Cases increased from 509 to 517. The death toll remained at three.
- Hillsborough County cases increased from 14,677 to 15,362. The death toll rose from 158 to 163.
- Pinellas County cases increased from 8,759 to 9,032. The death toll rose from 199 to 206.
This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 11:59 AM.
