Manatee County hits 7,000 COVID-19 cases since start of pandemic
Manatee County has 207 new coronavirus cases, according to the latest data released by the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday.
Across the state, 9,785 new cases were reported. A total of 379,619 people in Florida have been infected since the pandemic got underway.
In Manatee County, a total of 7,078 people have been infected.
Statewide, the health department reported the deaths of 139 people from COVID-19. The state’s official death toll now stands at 5,345.
Manatee County’s death toll remained 149.
Meanwhile, current hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19 continue to grow at Manatee County’s general hospitals. As of Wednesday, there were 151 patients hospitalized who were positive for the coronavirus. Of those, 25 patients are requiring care in an intensive care unit.
All three hospitals have been at or near capacity for about two weeks. On Wednesday, Blake Medical Center was at capacity while there were a total of 12 available hospital beds, including one ICU bed, at the other two hospitals.
The breakdown among hospitals of COVID-19 cases and available beds was:
- Manatee Memorial Hospital: 72 COVID-19 positive patients, 12 of whom are in ICU, five available non-ICU beds and no available ICU beds.
- Lakewood Ranch Medical Center: 26 COVID-19 positive patients, six available non-ICU beds and one available ICU bed.
- Blake Medical Center: 53 COVID-19 positive patients, 13 of whom are in ICU, no available non-ICU beds and no available ICU beds.
According to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration, there were 133 patients admitted to Manatee County hospitals with COVID-19 being a primary diagnosis. Across the state, the agency is reporting 9,475 patients admitted with a COVID-19 primary diagnosis.
The latest 207 new cases reported locally were among 1,449 test results released, with a positivity rate of 14,3%. The overall positivity rate continues to uptick with the surge of new cases, rising to 10.3% in Manatee County and 12% statewide.
Surrounding counties:
- Sarasota County cases increased from 4,432 to 4,567. The death toll rose from 108 to 109.
- Desoto County cases increased from 1,099 to 1,112. The death toll remained at 14.
- Hardee County cases increased from 717 to 726. The death toll remained at four.
- Hillsborough County cases increased from 24,550 to 24,891. The death toll rose from 244 to 260.
- Pinellas County cases increased from 13,925 to 14,191. The death toll rose from 334 to 342.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 11:03 AM.
