47 new COVID-19 cases in Manatee. Florida sees second-lowest daily count since June

Another 47 Manatee County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health. They were among 2,974 more cases confirmed statewide on Sunday — when the total case count for Florida topped 600,000.

Sunday’s newly confirmed cases mark the second lowest single day count reported statewide since June. On Monday, Florida reported 2,678 cases.

Throughout the pandemic, the newly confirmed cases reported on Sundays have tended to be lower than the other days of the week because fewer people work in labs and enter data on the weekends. Testing information was not immediately available.

Florida’s death toll from the pandemic rose by 51 people to 10,325. No additional deaths were reported in Manatee County, leaving the official death toll here at 248.

The overall rate at which Manatee County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus remains around 11 percent. However, the positivity rates for daily testing results have begun to drop in recent weeks. The average positivity rate of tests conducted in Manatee County over the past week was 4.83 percent, and the average positivity rate for the week prior was 5.48 percent.

Nationally, the percentage of positive test results has been on a downward trend since mid-July, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Mortality from the virus in the U.S., which leads the world in reported deaths, remains at elevated levels.

Florida currently ranks second in the U.S. for COVID-19 cases and fifth in the U.S. for COVID-19 deaths, according to the CDC.

Manatee County cases from Saturday to Sunday:

• Cases increased from 10,123 to 10,170. (389 new cases were reported over the past week.)
• The death toll remained at 248. (Three new deaths were reported over the past week.)
• The number of residents hospitalized since the outbreak remained at 705.
• The number of males infected is 4,652 compared to 5,242 females.
• The number of tests administered increased from 91,999 to 92,537.
• Manatee County’s overall positivity rate remained at 11%. That compares to 11% last week, 10.6% two weeks ago, 10% three weeks ago and 9.2% a month ago.
• 761 cases (8% of all cases) and 117 deaths were among residents and staff of long-term care facilities in Manatee.
  
  

• 24 cases have been reported at Manatee County correctional facilities.

• 1,197 children have tested positive for COVID-19 in Manatee, an addition of 200 cases in the past two weeks.

Florida cases from Saturday to Sunday:

• Cases increased from 597,597 to 600,571.
• The number of deaths increased from 10,274 to 10,325.
• Florida’s positivity rate decreased from 13.56% to 13.54%.

Surrounding counties:

• Sarasota County cases increased from 6,980 to 7,021. The death toll remained at 180.
  
  
• DeSoto County cases increased to 1,451. The death toll remained at 21.
• Hardee County cases increased from 1,050 to 1,059. The death toll remained at eight.
• Hillsborough County cases increased to 35,721. The death toll rose from 519 to 520.
• Pinellas County cases increased from 19,352 to 19,431. The death toll rose from 595 to 599.

This story was originally published August 23, 2020 at 12:35 PM.