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Florida Adds 821 New COVID-19 Cases; Total Exceeds 23,000

The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida passed 23,000 Thursday.
Florida Department of Health
The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida passed 23,000 Thursday.

Florida logged 821 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday. The 6 p.m. report from the Department of Health shows 23,340 people have tested positive.

668 people have died due to the coronavirus in the state; an increase of 54 since Wednesday evening.

Manatee County saw the largest daily increase of new cases in the Tampa Bay area Thursday, with 38. It also has the highest number of people who have died from COVID-19. The county reports 20 dead, including one death added Thursday evening.

Polk County also recorded one death, bringing its total to 11.

No details are available on either the Manatee or Polk County deaths from today, but the morning report gave details on the person in Sarasota who died Wednesday. It was an 89-year-old man  with no history of travel or contact with another person known to have COVID-19.

Tampa Bay area positive tests as of 6 p.m. Thursday, April 16:  

  • Hillsborough: 878 (838 local, 40 non-resident)
  • Pinellas: 530 (489 local, 41 non-resident)
  • Manatee: 309 (307 local, 2 non-resident)
  • Polk: 304 (298 local, 6 non-resident)
  • Sarasota: 260 (245 local, 15 non-Sarasota residents)
  • Pasco:190 (183 local, 7 non-Pasco resident)
  • Hernando: 76 (72 local, 4 non-Hernando resident)

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Lisa Peakes is the local host of NPR's All Things Considered on WUSF 89.7.