Manatee County resident among 225 COVID deaths reported by state
A 64-year-old Manatee County man is among the 225 COVID-19 deaths confirmed by Florida Department of Health on Wednesday as the state surpassed more than half a million cases.
The local death toll from the pandemic now stands at 188. Statewide, there have been 7,627 residents who have died from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
The case of the 64-year-old who died was confirmed on July 7, according to the state’s data. His death was not directly connected to a long-term care facility.
The state also announced 51 new positive cases in Manatee County. There have now been 8,938 people locally who have tested positive since March.
Across the state there were a total of 5,409 new cases reported. Infections now total 502,539.
The daily positivity rate of the latest 470 local test results was 10.9% — the same current overall rate for cases in Manatee County since the pandemic got underway. The state’s overall positivity rate of tests is currently 13.2%.
Hospitalizations
Hospitalizations continued to drop on Wednesday with 96 inpatients at Manatee County’s three general hospitals, according to data the hospitals began providing county officials daily about a month ago. Among those patients, 18 patients are requiring intensive care treatment.
Hospital bed availability has also improved some at the three hospitals with 37 staffed and available beds, including five ICU beds. All three have been at or near capacity for the last month. Most recently, Blake Medical Center has been at capacity for days.
The breakdown among hospitals of COVID-19 cases and available beds was:
- Manatee Memorial Hospital: 44 COVID-19 positive patients, 6 of whom are in ICU, four available non-ICU beds and one available ICU bed.
- Lakewood Ranch Medical Center: 12 COVID-19 positive patients, one of whom are in ICU, 13 available non-ICU beds and four available ICU beds.
- Blake Medical Center: 40 COVID-19 positive patients, 11 of whom are in ICU and 15 available non-ICU beds.
According to Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration, Manatee County has 84 patients in hospitalized with COVID-19 being a primary reason for their admission.
Surrounding counties
- Sarasota County cases increased from 5,854 to 5,940. The death toll rose from 128 to 129.
- DeSoto County cases increased from 1,308 to 1,313. The death toll rose from 16.
- Hardee County cases increased from 857 to 866. The death toll remained at seven.
- Hillsborough County cases increased from 30,798 to 31,197. The death toll rose from 369 to 377.
- Pinellas County cases increased from 17,047 to 17,202. The death toll rose from 460 to 467.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 11:10 AM.
