FLORIDA CORONAVIRUS BRIEFS

The number of new positive coronavirus cases continues to drop in Florida, but the death toll keeps growing.

With 342 fatalities reported between May 3-10, Florida reported the most deaths due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and the fourth week in a row the state has reported at least 300 deaths.

But for the fifth week in a row, the total number of positive COVID-19 tests declined while overall testing has ramped up across the state. From May 3-10, the state saw 4,518 new cases and has to date tested 561,741 people, with percent positive cases continuing to decline as well.

Monday’s update from the state Department of Health added another 14 reported deaths and 386 cases so the state death toll now stands at 1,735 from 40,982 positive results. New deaths include one in Osceola County and one in Volusia County.

The highest single days for Florida deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health, have been 56 on April 17, 51 on April 23, 50 on April 30 and 51 on May 4, although those numbers change as details about deaths slowly make their way through the system.

Just this past Friday, for instance, three deaths were added three weeks later to

April 17’s total.

Central Florida has 4,490 reported cases, including 1,512 in Orange, 655 in Polk, 573 in Osceola, 551 in Volusia, 415 in Seminole, 330 in Brevard, 244 in Sumter and 243 in Lake. The region’s death toll stands at 158.

South Florida remains the epicenter of the pandemic in the state, accounting for 58% of the state’s cases with 23,938 total among Miami-Dade (14,167), Broward (5,882) and Palm Beach (3,889) counties.