Two more Manatee County residents have died from COVID-19. State death toll tops 10,700
Two more Manatee County residents have died from COVID-19, the Florida Department of Health said Wednesday.
They were among an additional 153 deaths reported by the health department.
The local official death toll in Manatee County now stands at 252.
Statewide, there have been 10,733 Florida residents who have died from COVID-19, according to FDOH. The deaths of two more non-residents were also confirmed on Wednesday, making 139 non-residents total who have died.
There were also 3,220 new positive cases announced on Wednesday morning across the state. In Manatee County, there were 37 new cases announced.
Hospitalizations continue to decline with 29 patients admitted into one the county’s general hospitals with COVID-19 as the primary reason for admission, according to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration.
Bed availability has also increased, with 112 non-ICU beds and 14 ICU beds available, according to the data reported by hospitals to AHCA. That bed availability, however, does not account for how many beds hospitals have the appropriate number of staff for.
Manatee County officials were tracking the availability of staffed available beds and other resources, including the negative pressure rooms and ventilators, but have stopped now that Manatee Memorial Hospital has stopped reporting that data.
Wednesday’s new local cases were among the 358 test results released with a positivity rate of 10.3%. While testing demand is currently down, the daily positivity rate indictaes the virus is still spreading.
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control reversed its guidelines on testing for anyone who has close contact, or within six feet, for at least 15 minutes with someone who has COVID-19 infection but doesn’t have symptoms: “You do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.”
Surrounding counties:
- Sarasota County: Cases increased from 7,042 to 7,066. The official death toll rose from 187 to 191.
- DeSoto County: Cases increased from 1,454 to 1,457. The official death toll remained at 21.
- Hardee County: Cases increased from 1,066 to 1,073. The official death toll remained at nine.
- Hillsborough County: Cases increased from 35,953 to 36,157. The official death toll rose from 534 to 537.
- Pinellas County: Cases increased from 19,522 to 19,605. The official death toll rose from 630 to 635.
This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 11:49 AM.
