72 Floridians confirmed dead from COVID-19 Tuesday, day 2 of reopening

Another 72 Florida residents have died due to complications from COVID-19, according to a Tuesday report from state health officials.

At least 1,471 Floridians have died during the pandemic and with 542 newly confirmed cases, 37,439 people have tested positive for COVID-19.

The virus has sent 6,330 Floridians to the hospital, including an additional 211 residents confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH) Tuesday.

With the majority of the state reopened Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the DOH are eyeing a continued decline in either the total number of confirmed positive cases or the share of newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases. The state’s hot spots in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties did not reopen with the rest of the state.

In Miami-Dade, DOH reported 13,224 cases and 407 deaths, an increase from 13,092 and 378 Monday, respectively. In Broward, the state has confirmed 5,492 cases, up from 5,383, and 215 deaths, an additional seven over Monday’s count. In Palm Beach, 3,390 people have tested positive, an increase from 3,311, with nine additional deaths, pushing the death toll there to 205.

Orange, Hillsborough, Lee and Duval counties have also crossed 1,000 cases. Patients have been diagnosed in each of the state’s 67 counties.

DeSantis has highlighted Orange County, with 1,446 cases, Hillsborough County, with 1,324, and Duval County, with 1,084, 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 1,160 cases total.

DOH has tested 466,288 people with 1,265 awaiting results from department-coordinated labs. However, thousands more likely await results from private labs.

On Monday, the state received a record-setting 23,884 test results. The test result ratio plummeted to a record-low 2.61%, down from around 10%.

DeSantis announced the state’s 11th drive-thru testing site, operated by the Division of Emergency Management and the Florida National Guard, in Sarasota to serve Sarasota and Manatee counties. The site can test up to 400 people per day to start, but the state can upscale it if there is demand.