Staff Reports
More than 36,000 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic ahead of the state’s scheduled reopening.
That’s according to Sunday’s update from state health officials, which showed 615 new cases and 15 deaths, raising the death toll to 1,379. Ten of those fatalities are tied to longterm care facilities, where now 485 residents and staff have died.
Another 90 people were hospitalized, raising the total number of Floridians hospitalized with COVID-19 during the pandemic to 6,035.
With the majority of the state reopening Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Department of Health (DOH) will be eyeing a continued decline in either the total number of confirmed positive cases or the share of newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases. However, the state’s hot spots of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties will not reopen with the rest of the state.
In Miami-Dade, DOH reported 12,775 cases and 369 deaths in total, an increase from 12,632 and 369 respectively. In Broward, the state has confirmed 5,312 cases, up from 5,257, and 207 deaths, an increase of three over Saturday. In Palm Beach, 3,130 people have tested positive, an increase from 3,080, and an additional Floridian died, pushing the death toll there to 196.
Orange, Hillsborough, Lee and Duval counties are the others that have crossed 1,000 cases. Floridians have been diagnosed in each of the state’s 67 counties.
DeSantis has highlighted Orange, with 1,434 cases, Hillsborough, with 1,281, and Duval, with 1,045, as the state’s examples of growing hot spots that were stamped out. However, Lee County has remained fairly consistent in its number of daily reported cases, now past Duval County with 1,118 cases total.
The 15 fatalities statewide represent the lowest number of new deaths in a single daily report since Monday. However, the day fatalities are included in a report doesn’t represent when the person died, rather when they tested positive.
The daily death toll peaked at 53 on April 17 but has leveled off, if not began decreasing.
DOH has the test results of 438,744 people, of whom 392,111 tested negative. Another 1,226 people await results from department-coordinated labs.
On Saturday, the percentage of positive cases among people who had not tested positive before was 5%, down from 8% two weeks prior. At the same time, 14,374 results came in Saturday, up from 10,300 two weeks before.
When the state begins its reopening process, Monday’s Phase One will allow restaurant dining rooms and retail storefronts to open at 25% capacity. But schools, gyms, movie theaters and close-contact services like hair salons will remain closed.
The Governor is also opening the door for pharmacists to offer COVID-19 tests, one of the state’s latest efforts in expanding test availability. Walgreens has announced nine drive-thru sites across the state, Walmart will have five and CVS plans to enter the testing game too.
