Manatee, Sarasota County COVID Deaths Reach Record Daily Highs As New Florida Cases Decline

WUSF | By Lisa Peakes

Published August 11, 2020 at 7:50 AM EDT

Manatee and Sarasota Counties each recorded a new high number of deaths reported in a 24-hour period Monday. Meanwhile, the number of new coronavirus cases in the state continues to decline.

The number of new people testing positive for the coronavirus continues to decline in Florida. However, deaths in the greater Tampa Bay region included record highs in Manatee and Sarasota counties Monday.

State health officials reported 4,155 people tested positive since Sunday, continuing the downward trend that saw increases of just over 8,000 from Friday and 6,000 from Saturday - bringing the total number of cases to 536,961.

In the greater Tampa Bay area, 497 new positive tests were reported – the first time that number has been below 500 since June 16, when 487 people tested positive.

The results for 58,153 tests came back Sunday, and for those tested for the first time, 8.6% were positive. That test figure is down from the daily average of about 85,500 tests administered over the last two weeks.

The daily report from the Florida Department of Health shows the deaths of 91 people from COVID-19-related complications have been recorded since Sunday, bringing the state's death toll from the coronavirus to 8,277.

In the greater Tampa Bay region, the deaths of 47 people were recorded in the 24 hours since Sunday’s report, including 35 in Manatee County and eight in Sarasota County - both record highs, topping the previous highs of 15 on July 29 and seven on August 4 respectively.

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 Monday, August 10:

Hillsborough: 32,731
Pinellas: 17,941
Polk: 14,475
Manatee: 9,340
Pasco: 7,114
Sarasota: 6,256
Hernando: 2,028

Florida COVID-19 daily total of positive tests/deaths for the last two weeks:

August 10: 4,155/91
August 9: 6,229 / 77
August 8: 8,502 / 182
August 7: 7,686 / 180
August 6: 7,650 / 120
August 5: 5,409 / 225
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