Deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Florida spiked again Tuesday.
The daily figures from the Department of Health shows the deaths of 245 people were reported statewide since Monday, bringing the total dead from the coronavirus to 7,402.
It’s the fourth time the daily death toll has risen above 200.
In the greater Tampa Bay region, the deaths of 67 people were recorded since Monday – the second-highest number of deaths in a 24-hour period since the pandemic began.
Sarasota and Hernando Counties each reported a single-day high number of people who died with seven and four deaths respectively. Hillsborough and Polk Counties recorded their second-highest daily death tolls of 21 and 15.
According to the Department of Health, the deaths did not necessarily happen in the 24 hours since Monday's report, as some occurred previously and were disclosed to the state since the last report.
State health officials reported 5,446 positive tests since Monday. That brings the total of those who’ve tested positive for the virus to 497,330.
In the greater Tampa Bay area, 829 new positive tests were reported.
The positivity rate for those tested for the first time rose slightly to 10.88% following two days where it was in the ninth percentile. The results for 56,533 tests came back Monday.
A number of testing sites run by the state remained closed in areas affected by Tropical Storm Isaias Monday, particularly in some south Florida counties hit hard by the coronavirus. Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties continued reporting as high as half the number of new cases Tuesday that they had been averaging in the two weeks prior to the weekend.
ABOUT THE DATA:
The Florida Department of Health produces a daily update around 11 a.m. with information about COVID-19 cases and deaths that were reported over the previous 24 hours. Cases and deaths in the report may have happened days or weeks earlier, according to state officials. The state separately tracks cases and deaths that occurred on specific days on its dashboard and those totals are frequently updated.
Greater Tampa Bay region positive tests as of Tuesday, August 4:
- Hillsborough: 30,798
- Pinellas: 17,047
- Polk: 13,231
- Manatee: 8,887
- Pasco: 6,636
- Sarasota: 5,854
- Hernando: 1,802
Florida COVID-19 daily total of positive tests/deaths for the last two weeks:
- August 4: 5,446 / 245
- August 3: 4,752 / 73
- August 2: 7,104 / 62
- August 1: 9,642 / 179
- July 31: 9,007 / 257
- July 30: 9,956 /253
- July 29: 9,446 /216
- July 28: 9,230 /186
- July 27: 8,892 /77
- July 26: 9,344 /77
- July 25: 12,199 /124
- July 24: 12,444 /135
- July 23: 10,249 /173
- July 22: 9,785 /139
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