Manatee County reports 62 new coronavirus infections. State death toll passes 14,500
Sixty-two people in Manatee County were among the 2,660 new coronavirus infections confirmed on Friday by the Florida Department of Health.
Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been 11,681 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus. In Florida, infections now total 711,804.
The deaths of 110 Florida residents from COVID-19 were also reported on Friday. There have been 14,554 residents across the state killed by the respiratory virus.
None of the latest reported deaths reported occurred in Manatee County, where the official death toll stayed at 291.
Cases in the U.S. exceeded 7.2 million on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University, as President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump announced they had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 Manatee County remained higher throughout the past week compared to the previous week.
On Friday, the county’s three general hospitals, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Blake Medical Center and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, had 22 patients admitted that were positive for the coronavirus, according to data provided daily to county public safety officials. Six of those patients were being treated in an ICU. A week ago, there were 18 patients admitted who were positive, three of them in ICU.
The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration reported 27 patients were admitted to the county’s hospitals with COVID-19 as a primary diagnosis and reason for their admission.
The disparity in the data comes as Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center continue to deal with a computer hack affecting their parent company, Universal Health Services.
The three hospitals reported a total of 93 available and staffed beds, including 14 ICU beds, according to what they reported to the county. The AHCA data, which does not account for staffing but rather just the availability of physical beds, showed 99 available beds, including 12 ICU beds, on Friday.
The latest 62 local cases reported in Manatee County were among 431 test results released on Friday by FDOH, with a 14.4% positivity rate.
The Manatee County Emergency Communications Center reported fewer COVID-19 related 911 calls in the past week, reporting 18 calls compared to 22 in the prior week, according to an internal county report. Calls to 311 that were COVID-19 related increased from 11 to 34, with many residents calling with questions after the county commission repealed its mask mandate.
Surrounding counties:
- Sarasota County: Cases increased from 8,233 to 8,270. The official death toll rose from 261 to 263.
- DeSoto County: Cases increased from 1,573 to 1,577. The official death toll rose from 25 to 26.
- Hardee County: Cases increased from 1,375 to 1,380. The official death toll remained at 11.
- Hillsborough County: Cases increased from 42,380 to 42,565. The official death toll rose from 654 to 660.
- Pinellas County: Cases increased from 22,266 to 22,347. The official death toll rose from 755 to 759.
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 11:30 AM.
