Janelle Irwin Taylor
Pinellas County saw a jump in new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, according to Florida Department of Health data released Thursday.
From Wednesday morning to Thursday morning the county confirmed 364 new cases. The day prior the county logged 247 new cases. The county has now tallied 33,857 cases since the pandemic began.
The uptick coincides with an increase in new test results received and the corresponding positivity rate. Pinellas County received results to 5,490 tests Wednesday, the highest number since one week ago, and logged a 6.19% positivity rate, up from 5.93% the day prior.
The county is trending slightly upward, with the current seven day positivity rate at 5.82%, up from 5.63% one week ago.
Pinellas confirmed just one additional death Wednesday, bringing the county’s death toll to 915.
Hillsborough County also logged a slight uptick in cases, despite a slight reduction in positivity rates for the day. The county tallied 539 new cases, up from 521 confirmed the day prior.
The small uptick came as a result of more testing, with 6,555 tests received, more than 1,000 more than the day prior. The positivity rate, however, inched downward slightly to 7.48% from 8.85%.
Still, the county is on an upward trajectory with the virus. The current seven day positivity rate sits at 7.77%. One week ago that rate was 7.09%.
For the second day inn a row, deaths were also on the rise. Health officials confirmed another nine deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday. The day prior, five deaths were confirmed. The county’s death toll now sits at 947.
