The Florida Department of Health reported more than 4,000 new positive cases of coronavirus on Saturday, the highest-single day total of new cases since late August.
The 4,044 new cases on Saturday brought the number of total cases in Florida to 752,481. The last time the state reported more cases for a single day was Aug. 22.
Last weekend, the state reported more cases on Sunday, but it was a cumulative report for results received on both Saturday and Sunday. A similar one-day spike was seen Sept. 1 when Quest Diagnostics submitted more than 75,000 tests, some dating back months, all at once.
The number of new cases reported Saturday in the greater Tampa Bay region – 957 – also was the first time since Aug. 15 that the total of new cases in the area surpassed 900. The number of local positive tests has only surpassed 800 once since Sept. 1.
Of the 83,567 results reported statewide on Saturday, 5.21% of the tests on people being screened for infection for the first time were positive. This is the third time in a week, and fourth time in two weeks that the positivity rate was more than 5%.
An additional 88 people have died from complications related to the coronavirus, the department reported Saturday. That included 22 people losing their lives in the greater Tampa Bay region.
As of Saturday, 16,118 people in Florida have died in connection to the virus. The deaths recorded on Saturday 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 Saturday, October 17:
· Hillsborough: 45,275/ 745
· Pinellas: 23,982/ 798
· Polk: 21,713/ 582
· Manatee: 12,488/ 319
· Pasco: 10,169/ 223
· Sarasota: 8,969/ 309
· Hernando: 3,425/ 154
Florida COVID-19 daily total of positive tests/deaths for the last two weeks:
· Oct. 17: 4,044/88
· Oct. 16: 3,449/98
· Oct. 15: 3,356/144
· Oct. 14: 2,883/66
· Oct. 13: 2,725/123
· Oct. 12: 1,533/47
· Oct. 11: 5,570/180
· Oct. 10: No report issued from DOH *
· Oct. 9: 2,908/118
· Oct. 8: 3,306/170
· Oct. 7: 2,582/139
· Oct. 6: 2,251/59
· Oct. 5: 1,415/41
· Oct. 4: 1,868/43
* - On Oct. 10, a data dump of previously reported lab results prevented the reporting system from normal processing of lab results.
