Kelly Hayes
Hillsborough County confirmed 19 additional deaths from COVID-19 in the latest report from the Florida Department of Health released Wednesday.
The latest report brings the county’s total death toll to 1,336.
Despite the one-day spike in deaths, the county is still reporting low case numbers. Hillsborough confirmed 348 additional cases on Tuesday, down from Monday’s 560 and following the overall trend of decline. Since the start of the pandemic, the county has recorded 101,910 cases of COVID-19.
The county also reported 12 new hospitalizations since Tuesday’s report.
Pinellas County is also reporting fewer cases. On Tuesday, the county confirmed 202 new COVID-19 cases, a substantial decline from Monday’s 408 cases. The latest report brings the county’s total caseload since the pandemic began to 60,322.
Pinellas reported two additional deaths in the latest report, bringing its COVID-19 death toll to 1,307 since the onset of the pandemic.
The county also reported 23 new hospitalizations.
Both counties are reporting positivity rates lower than 10%. Anything above 10% is a general marker of mass community spread.
On Tuesday, Hillsborough County reported a positivity rate of 7.54%, maintaining a rate around 7.5% for the past couple days. Pinellas confirmed a positivity rate of 6.63% on Tuesday, also showing a steady decline and bringing the county closer to its 5% goal.
Vaccines are also being streamlined by the counties. Pinellas County has vaccinated 80,818 individuals so far, 19,725 of whom have completed the series. In Hillsborough, 80,766 people have been vaccinated, including 25,487 who have received their second dose.
