Janelle Irwin Taylor
Hillsborough County continues to surge in the number of reported coronavirus cases, according to the latest report from the Florida Department of Health Monday morning.
An additional 31 cases were reported overnight, bringing the county’s total to 790. Hillsborough maintains the 5th highest concentration of the virus in the state, behind Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Orange counties.
However, Hillsborough is the only county in the top five with fewer than 1,000 cases confirmed.
Pinellas County added another 15 cases overnight, bringing its total to 470. Pinellas ranks 8th in the state in total number of cases reported.
Tampa remains the epicenter of cases in the Tampa Bay region with 519 confirmed cases, ranking 8th in the state among cities. St. Petersburg leads Pinellas County with 129 cases and ranks 26th in the state.
There are some positive signs regionally. Data tracked by the Florida Department of health shows a significant decline in hospitalizations in Hillsborough County day-over-day for admissions related to cough, fever or shortness of breath, all symptoms of the COVID-19 disease.
Hospitalizations are also dropping in Pinellas County, though not as steeply.
So far 12,393 people have been tested in Hillsborough County while only 8,961 have been tested in Pinellas.
No new deaths were reported in either county overnight. The most recent death in Hillsborough County occurred on April 12, a 66 year old man with unknown transmission from either travel or contact with a known case. Prior to that a 64 year old female died on April 10 who had recently traveled to New Jersey and had contact with a known case.
Total deaths in Hillsborough remain at 16.
Pinellas County’s most recent death was a long 74-year old male who died on April 9. He had no known travel or contact with a known case. In all, 13 have died in Pinellas County.
Statewide, cases have now surpassed the 20,000 mark as Florida braces for an expected peak in the virus later this month.
