Another 150 cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County. Local positivity rate ticks up

Another 150 people in Manatee County have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the Florida Department of Health. They were among 4,599 new cases confirmed statewide on Wednesday.

The state health department also recorded the deaths of 55 more Florida residents and four more non-residents due to COVID-19. Florida’s death toll during the pandemic now totals 33,120 people, including 616 non-residents.

No new COVID-19 fatalities were reported for Manatee County on Wednesday, where the death toll remained at 630 residents.

Meanwhile, the local positivity rate in Manatee County increased for a third straight day. Test results processed on Tuesday had a positivity rate of 8.7%, the highest since the end of February. Monday’s results had a rate of 7.9% and Sunday’s 6.8%, which are also both higher than average for recent weeks.

On average, the local positivity rate has been trending downward since January, but it will head back in the wrong direction if the elevated daily positive rates continue.

Over the last week, an average of 5.9% of test results were new positive cases. That compares to 5.9% the week prior and 6.5% a month ago.

Hospitalizations continue a downward trend across Florida — about 6% statewide compared to a week earlier. On Wednesday, there were 3,007 people admitted to hospitals across the state with COVID-19 as a primary diagnosis or reason for admission, according to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration.

In Manatee County, hospitalizations have decreased by 30% in the past week. On Wednesday, the county’s three general hospitals had 35 people admitted because of COVID-19.

The hospitals, Blake Medical Center, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and Manatee Memorial Hospital, had 47 available beds total, including eight ICU beds, according to AHCA, which does not account for whether the open beds are adequately staffed.

More than 92,000 Manatee County residents have now received at least a first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, including more than 41,000 that have been fully inoculated.

Statewide, 4.4 million have gotten at least a first shot, and over 2.4 million are fully inoculated.

Manatee County from Tuesday to Wednesday

• Cases increased from 33,386 to 33,536.
  
  
• The death toll remained at 630.
• Resident hospitalizations since the outbreak increased from 1,405 to 1,407.
• Manatee County’s daily rate of new positive cases increased from 7.9% to 8.7%.
• 1,352 cases (4% of all cases) and 191 deaths (30% 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 90,571 to 92,692.
  
  
• 51,394 people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 41,298 have been fully inoculated.
  
  

Florida from Tuesday to Wednesday

• Cases increased from 1,984,425 to 1,989,024.
  
  
• The resident death toll rose from 32,449 to 32,504. The non-resident death toll rose from 612 to 616.
  
  
• Florida’s daily rate of new positive cases decreased from 5.8% to 5.6%.
• The official count of people vaccinated against COVID-19 increased from 4,338,099 to 4,464,035.
  
  
• 1,967,600 people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,496,435 have been fully inoculated.
  
  

Surrounding counties

• Sarasota County cases increased from 28,092 to 28,175. The death toll remained at 751.
  
  
• Pinellas County cases increased from 69,334 to 69,468. The death toll rose from 1,520 to 1,522.
  
  
• Hillsborough County cases increased from 116,309 to 116,691. The death toll rose from 1,566 to 1,567.
  
  
• Hardee County cases increased from 2,862 to 2,863. The death toll remained at 35.
  
  
• Desoto County cases increased from 3,947 to 3,956. The death toll remained at 79.
  
  

Herald reporter Jessica De Leon contributed to this report.

This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 3:32 PM.