Florida coronavirus cases jump by 667 Monday

After a weekend of civil unrest in cities across Florida and Tampa Bay, the threat of coronavirus felt like an afterthought. But still, the number of positive cases in the state continued to rise.

On Monday, Florida logged 667 new cases of coronavirus, the disease that causes the COVID-19 respiratory illness.

On Monday, the total number of cases reached 56,830 in Florida, with nine new deaths reported. In Tampa Bay, 239 new cases were logged from Sunday to Monday with three deaths.

Hundreds took to the streets in Tampa and St. Petersburg over the weekend — some in masks, some not — to protest the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died at the hands of police.

What’s happening across the state?

Florida recorded nine new deaths from COVID-19. Its total death count rose to 2,543.

The state also added 667 cases of the virus, bringing its total tally of confirmed infections to 56,830.

In recent days, newly reported deaths in the state have slowed. There’s generally an uptick in deaths recorded on Tuesdays, following the low numbers posted on Sundays and Mondays.

The number of deaths tied to long-term care centers across the state continues to increase. On Monday, 9,113 cases — or 16 percent of all cases — had come from places like nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

For weeks, new reported cases of the virus were clearly declining, but at the end of April, the growth rate started to flatten. In recent days, the rate has started moving upward with the state averaging about 780 new confirmed coronavirus cases each day.

What’s the latest in Tampa Bay?

The death toll in the Tampa Bay area grew by just three Monday. The day prior, the region reported no new deaths. Pinellas County reported one new death and Polk County reported two.

The counties that make up the greater Tampa Bay region — Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk — together account for 4,971 cases.

More than half of the area’s deaths, or 356, can be tied to long-term care facilities.

Manatee County, where several large outbreaks have occurred in nursing homes, continues to lead the region in reported deaths with 99.

A Tampa Bay Times analysis found that more than 80 percent of the region’s deaths are among people 65 and older.

Hillsborough County continues to have the most confirmed infections.

As of the latest counts, Hillsborough had 2,251 cases and 84 deaths; Pinellas had 1,313 cases and 84 deaths; Manatee had 1,057 cases and 99 deaths; Polk had 1,038 cases and 57 deaths; Pasco had 388 cases and 14 deaths; Citrus had 122 cases and 12 deaths; and Hernando had 115 cases and six deaths.

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