Florida reports nearly 51,000 coronavirus cases in Sunday update

TAMPA — For the first time in 29 days, the Florida Department of Health did not report any new COVID-19 deaths in the seven counties that make up the Tampa Bay region.

As Memorial Day weekend drew scores of people to Tampa Bay beaches, the Florida Department of Health announced 740 new positive cases of coronavirus and four more deaths Sunday. The overall number of coronavirus cases in Florida jumped to to 50,867.

State health officials have attributed 2,316 deaths to COVID-19 in the 12 weeks that have passed since health officials announced Florida’s first known coronavirus cases on March 1.

According to the Florida Department of Health, roughly six percent of the nearly 873,000 people tested across the state have been positive for the coronavirus. That’s about four percent of the state’s population.

What’s the latest statewide?

The number of new cases added to the state’s total every day doesn’t always reflect the number of cases discovered or confirmed in any given day, state officials said. Large batches of results like the 740 new cases reported Sunday morning often include data from multiple days of testing. And the state’s reported data often changes retroactively as health officials receive more information on each case.

In anticipation of Memorial Day weekend, Gov. Ron DeSantis eased restrictions on vacation rentals in 42 of the state’s 67 counties. DeSantis also announced plans on Friday to lift restrictions on all youth activities across the state, including summer camps and sports. Instead, DeSantis said he’ll leave it up to local governments to impose their own restrictions as they see fit.

But while Sunday’s four reported fatalities falls short of the average seven deaths recorded each day, the daily report also noted a spike in patients hospitalized for worsening symptoms. As of Sunday morning, an additional 71 coronavirus patients have been hospitalized, raising the statewide total to 9,381.

Two of Sunday’s four reported deaths were in Miami-Dade County, ground zero for Florida’s wave of coronavirus infections where 641 people have died and the total number of cases has risen to 16,845.

The other two coronavirus-related deaths reported on Sunday occurred in Volusia and Walton counties, state records show.

What’s the latest in Tampa Bay?

There were 121 positive cases reported in Tampa Bay on Sunday, bringing the region’s total case load to 5,477.

Hillsborough County continues to lead the area with 1,883 people who have tested positive for the virus — 60 of which were added over the past 24 hours. The City of Tampa is ranked seventh in the state for the most positive cases with 1,199. Hillsborough has reported 75 coronavirus-related deaths countywide, state records show, two of which were reported Saturday morning.

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Pinellas has 1,173 coronavirus cases and 76 deaths; Manatee has 975 cases and 93 deaths; Polk has 869 cases and 49 deaths; Pasco has 349 cases and 13 deaths; Citrus has 119 cases and 12 deaths; and Hernando has 109 cases and 6 deaths.

What’s the latest in long-term care centers?

The number of coronavirus-related deaths among residents and staff inside Florida’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities rose to 1,076 — which is roughly 46 percent of all deaths reported statewide and 61 percent of all coronavirus-related deaths reported in the Tampa Bay area.

Statewide, the Florida Department of Health reports 8,242 positive coronavirus cases in these long-term care facilities, about 17 percent of all cases. Nursing homes in the Tampa Bay area have accounted for 200 deaths, with the highest concentration coming from Manatee County.

Experts and advocates agree that frequently testing all staffers and residents for the virus is the only way to prevent it from further decimating Florida’s nursing homes. Still, Gov. Ron DeSantis has stalled, saying Florida doesn’t have the resources available for a massive testing rollout.

Doctors say older people are at a greater risk to developing severe symptoms from COVID–19, which makes Florida especially vulnerable.

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