COVID-19 kills another Manatee resident. Florida sees most infections in a day since August
Manatee County has 87 new cases of people who’ve tested positive for the coronavirus. The Florida Department of Health confirmed 5,557 new cases across the state — the highest daily count in more than two months.
A Manatee County resident was also among the latest 57 deaths caused by COVID-19 confirmed by the health department on Thursday.
The latest victim is an 88-year-old woman and the case is linked to a local long-term care facility.
In Manatee County, infections now total 12,761, while across Florida they total 768,091.
In Florida, there have been 16,267 residents and 203 non-residents killed by COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. In Manatee County, the official death toll of residents killed by COVID totals 324.
On Thursday, there were 30 patients hospitalized at one of the county’s three general hospitals, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and Blake Medical Center, who were positive for the coronavirus, according to data collected by county public safety officials. While an improvement compared to a week ago, it is double the number of patients hospitalized a month ago.
According to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration, those hospitals had 24 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 being a primary diagnosis and reason for their admission. Across the state, AHCA reported 2,073 patients admitted because of COVID-19.
The three hospitals had 56 available and staffed beds, including 18 ICU beds, according to the data collected by the county. Capacity has seen an improvement compared to a week ago, but there were twice as many available and staffed beds a month ago.
Surrounding counties
- Sarasota County: Cases increased 9,156 to 9,235. The death toll rose from 326 to 327.
- Desoto County: Cases increased 1,636 to 1,641. The death toll remained at 29.
- Hardee County: Cases increased from 1,547 to 1,558. The death toll rose at 14 to 16.
- Hillsborough County: Cases increased from 45,948 to 46,300. The death toll remained at 755.
- Pinellas County: Cases increased from 24,422 to 24,650. The death toll rose from 805 to 812.
This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 12:03 PM.
