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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.

Florida Adds Another 5,557 Positive Coronavirus Tests Thursday

Florida Department of Health coronavirus dashboard
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
State health officials reported another 1,069 people in the greater Tampa Bay region tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday. The last time more than 1,000 people tested positive in the region was Aug. 8.

The last time the statewide daily increase in infections was over 5,000 — not counting days where there were data issues — was September 1.

According to Thursday’s report from the Florida Department of Health, 5,557 people tested positive for the coronavirus since Wednesday, bringing the statewide total infections to 768,091.

Except for a data anomaly on Oct. 10, the last time the statewide daily increase in infections was over 5,000 was Sept. 1.

There were 1,069 new positive tests in the greater Tampa Bay region. Again, with the exception of the numbers reported by the state on Oct. 10, the last time the daily case increase for the region was more than 1,000 was Aug. 8.

The state received 106,033 tests Wednesday and 5.62% of them were positive. Over the last two weeks, the state has reported an average of 63,057 tests a day.

Thursday’s data from the Florida Department of Health also included the deaths of 57 people due to complications from COVID-19 since Wednesday’s report, bringing the statewide death toll to 16,413.

Florida passed New Jersey as having the fourth most deaths of any state since the beginning of the pandemic, trailing only New York, Texas and California.

In the greater Tampa Bay region, there were 12 deaths, including seven in Pinellas County.

The deaths were recorded by the state since Wednesday’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 case and death totals as of Thursday, October 22:

  • Hillsborough: 46,300 / 755
  • Pinellas: 24,650 /812
  • Polk: 22,256 /593
  • Manatee: 12,761 /324
  • Pasco: 10,406 /227
  • Sarasota: 9,235 /327
  • Hernando: 3,531 /165

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

  • Oct. 22: 5,557/57
  • Oct. 21: 2,145/105
  • Oct. 20: 3,662/86
  • Oct. 19: 1,707/54
  • Oct. 18: 2,539/50
  • 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

* - On Oct. 10, a data dump of previously reported lab results prevented the reporting system from normal processing of lab results.

NOTE: The Florida Department of Health discontinued daily coronvirus updates on June 4, 2021.

After more than 40 years learning and helping others understand more about so many aspects of our world and living in it, I still love making connections between national news stories and our community. It's exciting when I can find a thread between a national program or greater premise and what is happening at the local or personal level. This has been true whether I’ve spun the novelty tunes of Raymond Scott or Wilmoth Houdini from a tiny outpost in a Vermont field, or shared the voices of incarcerated women about what it’s like to be behind bars on Mother’s Day with the entire state of New Hampshire.
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