Staff Reports
State health officials reported 1,204 new COVID-19 diagnoses in the past 24 hours, a spike in the number of positive results compared to recent weeks.
The Thursday spike can be attributed, at least in part, to a return to average in the share of positive results and continued new testing.
On Tuesday, the Department of Health (DOH) received 77,940 test results, more than doubling the previous record number of tests set the day before. The state followed that up on Wednesday with 53,428 results, pushing the total number of people tested in Florida to 815,584 by the Thursday report.
The department also confirmed 49 deaths associated with COVID-19, including one non-resident. Now 2,222 people, including 2,144 residents, have died. A total of 9,200 people have been hospitalized after DOH confirmed 266 new hospitalizations, including one non-resident.
Now 1,001 residents and staff of long-term care facilities have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That comes after DOH confirmed 33 new deaths involving nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
In the last 24 hours, 333 people in Miami-Dade County tested positive, raising the overall COVID-19 caseload there to 16,367 people. Thirteen people have died since Wednesday’s report, raising the county’s death toll to 611.
Broward County registered 107 new cases, raising its total to 6,514, and one person died, lifting the death toll there to 308. Palm Beach County now has 4,968 cases after DOH showed 192 new cases along with 17 deaths, bringing total deaths to 319.
Six other counties have more than 1,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases including Hillsborough with 1,767, Orange with 1,726, Lee with 1,585, Duval with 1,355, Collier with 1,112 and Pinellas with 1,109. Hillsborough overtook Orange and Collier overtook Pinellas Thursday.
Surgeon General Scott Rivkees acknowledged a syndrome that attacks children and is associated with COVID-19 has surfaced in Florida. During a call this week with hospital representatives, he encouraged physicians and hospitals to make sure they report any suspected cases of what is known as a “multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children” to DOH officials.
Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ administration is facing scrutiny from scientists after FLORIDA TODAY reported DOH’s GIS manager, Rebekah Jones, was removed from her role designing, managing and updating the dashboard.
But the Governor’s head spokeswoman, Helen Aguirre Ferré, bashed Jones Tuesday for a “repeated course of insubordination” during her time with the Department. And on Wednesday, DeSantis chimed in, noting that she had a history of bucking superiors in her recent duties.
2 comments
John
May 21, 2020 at 12:30 pm
Refusing to cook the number of COVID 19 cases is not insubordination. DeSantis is taking cues from trump, a person that has a long history lying, misrepresentation and extortion. This needs to be investigated. Whistleblowers need protection.
Margaret Blustine
May 21, 2020 at 6:06 pm
Continuinally bucking superiors who at de santis orders want ms Jones to falsely manipulate data to cause avoidable death sickness loss of economy with no transparency is what any honest hardworking expert like ms Jones should do.there are othere with a conscience to not deliberately kill will come forward support her honesty.de santis continual lies and false numbers is dooming fla.1200 yesterday.he tried say 500 or less as usual but state health dept.reports true number is surged now to 1200.he’s in a sinking dying economy and death yet he continues to manipulate to sink it to the bottom.choosing trump who knew in February and chose do nothing now look around American cases and deaths compared to even worst hit countries whose fedl leader presidènt etc and are much much better condition because we have a non president.we have an ego driven con artist only interested in his title but obviously refused to won’t didn’t act when alerted so could stop what he caused in america.it didn’t come from nowhere.it came to America and he knew it in January February on.he did nothing needed as president then and the several steps needed then to stop virus.he didn’t care.political agenda vs American lives economy and suffering.he chose trump.we don’t want more of a guessing using deadly notions president.we want a proven leader with decades of successful results in fast action always protecting americans as Biden has proven for decades.trump has provendors he chooses himself over america.he makes rallying stupid speeches with zero content like a warm up comic on a game show would.we need a president badly not a slogan repeating salesman con artist namecalling cursing racist sprouting rising up crowds with useless meaningless words he never fulfilled any.he inherited a growing good economy.he had a chance to save it in February but he thought it might make him look bad to use fedl money to stop virus and pay people and businesses like other governments concerned with protecting their people.unlike trump who only thought abt trump.now look what his mentality and self centernessdid to america.horrific so deadly United nations has to get rid of him fast lockdown America let Pelosi spend our money to pay us until safe to really open.before what’s he’s done destroys the planet with rapid fire spreading.get rid of him.he’s deadly.look at americas path of numbers to infinity if he isn’t gone fast.elections in 6 months should never have been his priority over a deadly plague.he has to go.he will kill the planet now unleashed millions to spread worldwide expoentially.no other country doing that.earth doesn’t stand a chance with 325 million let loose now.stop him.global emergency measures are called for fast.Pelosi will pay lockdown save America and the planet until experiended adult proven Biden takes over from a rallying useless deadly monster.get rid of him.it’s a deadly global emergency at this point.every day counts.it’s unknown virus so contagious for long time hides in unknown carriers.no model possible but americas numbers americas nonpresident are well known.get rid of him.it’s almost toolate
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