PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Florida's COVID-19 Positivity Rate Rises Above 5 Percent

The Florida Department of Health reported 687,909 total cases of coronavirus Tuesday, up 2,470 from a day earlier.
The Florida Department of Health reported 687,909 total cases of coronavirus Tuesday, up 2,470 from a day earlier.

Florida reported the positivity on new COVID-19 tests is more than 5% for the first time since Sept. 10, with 2,470 new coronavirus cases added Tuesday.

The Florida Department of Health said in its daily report that 5.88% of people tested Monday obtained a new positive result. The number of tests reported statewide rose to 44,908 – almost half the number reported on some days last week.

With the new cases, the total number of people in Florida who have tested positive for the coronavirus has grown to 687,909 since the start of the pandemic. Tuesday's numbers include 367 new cases in the greater Tampa Bay region.

On the day the U.S. coronavirus-related death toll surpassed 200,000, the deaths of 99 people were recorded statewide.

Nine of the deaths were in the greater Tampa Bay region, with five reported in Polk County. The deaths recorded Tuesday may have occurred days or weeks earlier.

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, September 22:\

  • Hillsborough: 41,016
  • Pinellas: 21,620
  • Polk: 19,339
  • Manatee: 11,279
  • Pasco: 8,934
  • Sarasota: 7,912
  • Hernando: 3,037


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

  • Sept. 22: 2,470/99
  • Sept. 21: 1,685/21
  • Sept. 20: 2,521/9
  • Sept. 19: 3,573/63
  • Sept. 18: 3,204/140
  • Sept. 17: 3,255/147
  • Sept. 16: 2,355/154
  • Sept. 15: 3,116/146
  • Sept. 14: 1,736/36
  • Sept. 13: 2,423/8
  • Sept. 12: 3,190/98
  • Sept. 11: 3,650/176
  • Sept. 10: 2,583/213
  • Sept. 9: 2,056/202

Copyright 2020 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7. To see more, visit .

Daylina Miller, multimedia reporter for Health News Florida, was hired to help further expand health coverage statewide.