Almost 1,300 kids in Manatee have tested positive for the coronavirus, state says

An additional 25 children in Manatee County have tested positive for the novel coroanvirus in the past week, according to the Florida Department of Health.

In a reported dated Friday, the health department said 1,285 Manatee County residents 17 and younger had tested positive. That’s up from 1,260 a week earlier.

An 399 children were tested, for a weekly positivity rate of 6.3%. The overall positivity rate for juveniles in Manatee County is 12.8%, down from 13% a week earlier. The statewide rate was 14.3%., three-tenths of a percentage point lower than on Sept. 4.

The overall positivity rate for Manatee County as of Saturday was 10.8%.

The update of the state pediatric report came the same day the Manatee County School District revealed that as of Friday, 784 students and staff on its campuses had been quarantined after being exposed while at school to one of the 54 people who had contracted COVID-19.

In Sarasota County, 545 children had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday, 11 more than a week earlier. The positivity rate dropped from 9.7% to 9.6%.

Statewide, 53,717 children have tested positive from the coronavirus, up from 52,292 a week earlier.

This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 6:23 PM.