Florida COVID-19 Testing Volume, Cases And Deaths Rise Tuesday

WUSF | By Lisa Peakes

Published September 29, 2020 at 10:45 PM EDT

The positivity rate for first-time tests Tuesday rose above five percent for the first time in a week.

Tuesday’s report from the Florida Department of Health shows 3,266 people tested positive for the coronavirus since Monday, bringing the statewide total cases to 704,568.

The state received 70,893 tests Monday, and 5.01% of new tests were positive. The number of tests received was over three times that of Sunday.

It was the first time the positivity rate was over five percent in a week.

There were 496 new positive tests in the greater Tampa Bay region.

Tuesday’s report also recorded the deaths of 106 people due to complications from COVID-19 since Monday’s report, bringing the statewide death toll to 14,313.

On Monday, the state reported five deaths statewide.

In the greater Tampa Bay area, 24 deaths were noted since Monday’s report. Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties each reported eight deaths. In Hernando County, the state cited the deaths of six people.

The deaths were recorded by the state since Monday’s report, but they 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 29:

Hillsborough: 42,118
Pinellas: 22,129
Polk: 19,974
Manatee: 11,546
Pasco: 9,279
Sarasota: 8,177
Hernando: 3,150

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

Sept. 29: 3,266/106
Sept. 28: 738/5
Sept. 27: 1,882/12
Sept. 26: 2,795/107
Sept. 25: 2,847/122
Sept. 24: 2,541/179
Sept. 23: 2,590/203
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