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News about coronavirus in Florida and around the world is constantly emerging. It's hard to stay on top of it all but Health News Florida and WUSF can help. Our responsibility at WUSF News is to keep you informed, and to help discern what’s important for your family as you make what could be life-saving decisions.

6-Year-Old Hillsborough Co. Girl Becomes State's Youngest COVID-19 Victim

Florida Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Few details were immediately available about the child's death. She is the eighth person under age 18 to die of COVID in Florida since March.

A six-year-old girl in Hillsborough County has become the youngest person in Florida to die from COVID-19-related complications, Florida Department of Health officials announced Friday.

Further details about the child were not immediately available. Her death was included in the state’s weekly pediatric report, which said her case was counted Monday, August 17.

Since Thursday’s report from state health officials, another 4,684 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Florida, and the state recorded the deaths of 118 more people.

The latest increase brings the statewide total of positive tests to 593,286.

In addition, 10,304 people have died due to complications from COVID-19.

The positive rate for coronavirus statewide Thursday was 6.83 percent, based on 79,260 tests returned to the state.

Friday marked the ninth day in a row the statewide positive test rate – counting those tested for the first time – was below 10 percent.

Among children under 18, the positive test rate is 13.1 percent, a key indicator of concern as schools reopen across the state.

In the greater Tampa Bay region, the deaths of 19 additional people were reported since Thursday's report, but the state says they may have happened 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 Friday, August 21:

  • Hillsborough: 35,293
  • Pinellas: 19,247
  • Polk: 16,015
  • Manatee: 10,059
  • Pasco: 7,651
  • Sarasota: 6,905
  • Hernando: 2,396

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

  • August 21: 4.684 /118
  • August 20: 4,555 /117
  • August 19: 4,115 /174
  • August 18: 3,838 /219
  • August 17: 2,678 /87
  • August 16: 3,779 /107
  • August 15: 6,352 /204
  • August 14: 6,148 /228
  • August 13: 6,236 /148
  • August 12: 8,109 /212
  • August 11: 5,831/276
  • August 10: 4,155/91
  • August 9: 6,229 / 77
  • August 8: 8,502 / 182
NOTE: The Florida Department of Health discontinued daily coronvirus updates on June 4, 2021.

I cover health and K-12 education – two topics that have overlapped a lot since the pandemic began.
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