COVID-19 kills four more Manatee County residents. Florida’s death toll nears 30,000

Four more Manatee County residents have died from COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health, and another 26 people in Manatee County have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

They were among 5,117 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed statewide on Thursday.

The state health department also recorded 163 more resident deaths, including those in Manatee County, and three-non resident deaths due to COVID-19. Florida’s death toll during the pandemic now numbers 29,990, including 516 non-residents.

In Manatee County, 568 residents have now died from COVID-19. The death rate among known local cases is about 2%, according to state health department data, but the rate jumps to around 8% among residents 65 and older who have contracted the disease. And in cases among residents over 85, the death rate is over 22%.

The rate of new positive cases among Manatee County test results fell to 3.9% on Wednesday, the lowest daily rate seen in the last two weeks. However, a lower-than-average number of test results were processed.

Over the last week, an average of 6.4% of Manatee County test results were new positive cases, according to data from the state health department’s county case report. That compares to 5.7% the week prior and 7.9% a month ago.

As of Wednesday, 43,405 people in Manatee County have received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 20,165 people who have been fully inoculated.

Statewide, more than 2.5 million have received at least a first dose, and more than 1.2 million have been fully inoculated.

Manatee County from Wednesday to Thursday

• Cases increased from 30,737 to 30,763.
• The death toll increased to 564 to 568.
  
  
• Resident hospitalizations since the outbreak increased from 1,323 to 1,331.
  
  

• Manatee County’s daily rate of new positive cases decreased from 6.7% to 3.9%.

• 1,328 cases (4% of all cases) and 180 deaths (32% 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 42,352 to 43,405.
  
  
• 23,240 people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 20,165 have been fully inoculated.
  
  

Florida from Wednesday to Thursday

• Cases increased from 1,844,627 to 1,849,744.
  
  
• The resident death toll rose from 29,311 to 29,474. The non-resident death toll increased from 513 to 516.
  
  

• Florida’s daily rate of new positive cases remained at 6.4%.

• The official count of people vaccinated against COVID-19 increased from 2,487,055 to 2,551,882.
  
  

• 1,319,799 people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 1,232,083 have been fully inoculated.

Surrounding counties:

• Sarasota County cases increased from 26,193 to 26,229. The death toll increased from 700 to 701.
  
  
• Desoto County cases increased from 3,612 to 3,624. The death toll remained at 71.
• Hardee County cases increased from 2,734 to 2,744. The death toll remained at 26.
• Hillsborough County cases increased from 107,513 to 107,806. The death toll increased from 1,427 to 1,438.
  
  
• Pinellas County cases increased from 63,871 to 64,099. The death toll increased from 1,385 to 1,397.