52 more cases of COVID-19 in Manatee. Florida leads U.S. in recent deaths

Another 52 Manatee County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the the Florida Department of Health. They were among 2,521 new cases confirmed statewide on Sunday.

The state health department reported nine more COVID-19-related deaths of Florida residents, none of them from Manatee County. Manatee County’s death toll remained at 277. The state death toll is now at 13,296 residents and 163 non-residents.

Florida has seen one of the deadliest outbreaks of COVID-19 in the nation, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Overall, Florida ranks fifth for COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. And over the past week, Florida tied with California for the highest number of new COVID-19 deaths reported, 273.

Florida is also near the top of the list for the number of total COVID-19 infections. The state has had the third-most cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. since the outbreak began, according to the CDC, and ranks third in the number of new cases reported over the past week.

Florida has now had 683,754 reported cases of COVID-19. Manatee County cases, now at 11,210, account for 1.6% of that total.

The proportion of COVID-19 tests that are positive, or positivity rate, in Florida has been generally decreasing on a week-by-week basis, with 5.2% of tests positive during the first week of September and 4.6% positive during the second week.

That decline is line with national trends, according to the CDC.

The overall positivity rate, which considers all cases since the COVID-19 outbreak began, has crept incrementally downward over the last several weeks to 13.4%. That is still outside of the health department’s “target range” of below 10%.

The overall positivity rate of testing in Manatee County decreased very slightly from 10.79% to 10.78% on Sunday. Tests administered during the first week of September had a positivity rate of 3.3%, During the second week, tests were slightly more positive with a rate of 3.7%.

Manatee County from Saturday to Sunday:

• Cases increased from 11,158 to 11,210. (324 new cases were reported over the past week.)
  
  
• The death toll remained at 277. (Three new deaths were reported over the past week, while one was removed from Manatee County’s death total.)
• Hospitalizations since the outbreak remained at 784 residents.
• The number of men infected is 5,165 compared to 5,795 females and 132 unidentified.

• The total number of tests administered is 103,955. (3,157 tests were recorded over the last week.)

• The county’s positivity rate decreased slightly from 10.79% to 10.78%. That compares to 10.8% last week, 10.83% two weeks ago, 10.9% three weeks ago and 11% a month ago.
  
  
• 842 cases (8% of all cases) and 125 deaths were among residents and staff of long-term care facilities in Manatee.
  
  

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

• 1,338 children have tested positive for COVID-19 in Manatee.

Florida from Saturday to Sunday:

• Cases increased from 681,233 to 683,754, including 8,063 non-residents.
  
  
• The death toll increased from 13,287 to 13,296 residents. Non-resident deaths remained at 163.
  
  
• Florida’s overall positivity rate decreased from 13.42% to 13.4%.

Surrounding counties:

• Sarasota County: Cases increased from 7,848 to 7,877. The official death toll remained at 246.
  
  
• DeSoto County: Cases increased from 1,545 to 1,549. The official death toll remained 23.
  
  
• Hardee County: Cases increased from 1,274 to 1,297. The official death toll remained at 10.
  
  
• Hillsborough County: Cases increased from 40,587 to 40,751. The official death toll remained at 604.
• Pinellas County: Cases increased from 21,440 to 21,498. The official death toll remained at 721.