Three more deaths in Manatee County are among 180 new COVID fatalities in Florida

Three more Manatee County residents have died from COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health, and 144 more people in Manatee County have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

That brings Manatee County’s death toll during the coronavirus pandemic to 513 residents, while the cumulative case count now stands at 29,972.

Statewide, 8,525 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Thursday.

The state health department also recorded the deaths of 174 additional Florida residents and six additional non-residents due to COVID-19. Florida’s death toll is now 28,871 people, including 489 non-residents.

Florida continues to have the third-most cases and fourth-most deaths of any state during the pandemic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Manatee County, positivity rates remain down compared to levels recorded over the last several months.

Over the last week, an average of 5.7% of Manatee County test results were new positive cases, according to state health department data. That compares to 7.3% the week prior and 8.9% a month ago.

As of Wednesday, 20,986 people in Manatee had received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and had 14,533 been fully inoculated, according to the health department’s county vaccine report.

Statewide, over 2.1 million had received a first dose, and over 891,000 were fully inoculated.

Manatee County from Wednesday to Thursday

• Cases increased from 29,828 to 29,972.
  
  
• The death toll increased from 510 to 513.
  
  
• Resident hospitalizations since the outbreak increased from 1,298 to 1,301.
  
  

• Manatee County’s daily rate of new positive cases decreased from 5.7% to 4.6%.

• 1,319 cases (4% of all cases) and 172 deaths (34% of all deaths) were among residents and staff of long-term care facilities in Manatee.

• The official count of people vaccinated against COVID-19 increased from 34,083 to 35,519.
  
  
• 20,986 people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 14,533 have been fully inoculated.
  
  

Florida from Wednesday to Thursday

• Cases increased from 1,798,280 to 1,806,805.
• The resident death toll rose from 28,208 to 28,382. The non-resident death toll rose from 483 to 489.
  
  

• Florida’s daily rate of new positive cases decreased from 6.6% to 6.2%.

• The official count of people vaccinated against COVID-19 increased from 2,110,794 to 2,165,911.
  
  

• 2,165,911 people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 891,741 have been fully inoculated.

Surrounding counties

• Sarasota County cases increased from 25,700 to 25,801. The death toll increased from 674 to 676.
• Pinellas County cases increased from 62,132 to 62,499. The death toll increased from 1,357 to 1,372.
• Hillsborough County cases increased from 104,604 to 105,142. The death toll increased from 1,377 to 1,387.
• Hardee County cases increased from 2,678 to 2,688. The death toll remained at 24.
• Desoto County cases increased from 3,496 to 3,511. The death toll remained at 69.