State health officials reported 2,056 new COVID-19 cases, Wednesday, increasing the statewide total to 652,148 cases.
The Florida Department of Health also reported 202 new coronavirus-related deaths, Sept. 9, bringing the statewide death toll to 12,269 fatalities. Wednesday's reported deaths mark the largest single-day increase in COVID-related deaths since August 18.
Of the 4,838,264 COVID-19 tests that have been reported in Florida so far, the overall positivity rate remains at 13.48%.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations has risen to 40,517 patients.
Here in the Southwest Florida region including Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota Counties, state health officials reported 114 new COVID-19 cases, Sept. 9, for a total of 54,818 cases.
There were also 12 new coronavirus-related deaths reported in the Southwest Florida region, Wednesday, including five new fatalities in Sarasota County, three new deaths in Collier, two deaths in Hendry County and one new fatality each in Charlotte and Lee Counties for a total of 1,279 deaths.
Amid the slowdown in new COVID-19 cases being reported in Florida in recent weeks, many hospitals in the state are once again allowing visitors.
Lee Health officials began allowing visitors for adult patients into its four acute care hospitals in June. Visitation hours in Lee Health hospitals were expanded, Aug. 31, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Adult patients are allowed one visitor, with exceptions for obstetric patients, who are allowed two visitors.
Pediatric patients at Lee Health's Golisano Children's Hospital are also allowed two designated visitors. Lee Health is not allowing visitors under 12 years old.
Physicians Regional Medical Center in Collier County also eased visitation restrictions at the end of August and now, both it' Pine Ridge Road and Collier Boulevard locations allow one visitor per patient between 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Visitors under 18 are not permitted.
Meanwhile, the NCH Healthcare System has not yet lifted visitor restrictions in its hospitals. NCH Spokesman Shawn McConnell tells the Naples Daily News, health system officials will inform the community about plans to lift visitor restrictions by the end of the week.
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