New COVID-19 cases continue to trend lower; 228 deaths reported

With another 228 Florida resident deaths reported Friday by the Department of Health, the state’s death toll surpassed 9,000, but new cases hit the 20th day in a row under 10,000.

The 9,141 resident deaths coupled with 135 non-Florida resident deaths brings the combined toll to 9,276.

To be clear, the deaths reported Friday occurred over several days past, sometimes as much a a month earlier, but a case surge in June and early July has led to a morbid tally in which the state has officially logged more than 4,600 fatalities in the last month including at least 100 deaths from July 7-Aug. 5.

That was from when cases climbed to a high of more than 15,000 new positive results on July 12, but has since come down from the peak.

Friday’s new reported positive cases, which are from tests taken over several days, was 6,148, the 20th day in a row the state logged less than 10,000 new cases. To date, the state has seen 563,285 COVID-19 infections, which is about one in every 38 people of the state’s 21.5 million population. Nationwide, that number is about one in every 62 people.

The positivity rate reported by the Department of Health for the latest batch was 8.08, but that’s for new cases only and excludes anyone who previously tested positive. For all cases including retests of those previously infected, yesterday’s positivity rate was 10.7%.

Over 4.1 million people have been tested in Florida, with 20,402 more tests reported Friday compared with the previous day. Over 3.1 million tests have been administered since May 31.

Central Florida on Friday added 864 cases for a total of 87,111: 286 new cases in Orange for 32,861; 115 in Polk for 15,107; 108 in Osceola for 10,145; 101 in Volusia for 8,307; 49 in Seminole for 7,372; 79 in Brevard for 6,392; 98 in Lake for 5,489; and 28 in Sumter for 1,438.

Central Florida had 29 of Friday’s newly reported deaths, bringing the region’s toll to 1,380 including nine in Polk County, five each in Orange, Seminole and Brevard counties, three in Lake and two in Osceola. Neither Volusia nor Sumter County reported another death on Friday.

Polk County leads the Central Florida fatalities with 352, followed by 335 in Orange, 168 in Brevard, 151 in Volusia, 143 in Seminole, 109 in Osceola, 78 in Lake, and 44 in Sumter.

Central Florida accounts for over 15% of the cases statewide and also over 15% of the deaths. The region’s share of the state’s deaths has ticked up compared with June and the start of July, when it had steadily remained at under 9% of Florida’s total.

Across the state, 5,962 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of about 10:45 p.m. Friday. The state’s online tool updates several times throughout the day. That includes 262 in Orange County, 110 in Osceola, 84 in Seminole and 50 in Lake.

To date, 33,155 people have been hospitalized in Florida, the state’s COVID-19 dashboard shows.