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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’s COVID-19 Cases Surpass 900,000; Death Toll Nears 18,000

Florida Department of Health coronavirus dashboard
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Hillsborough County reported 468 positive tests Wednesday -- the highest single-day total since August 2, when 529 people tested positive.

The positivity rate for first-time COVID-19 tests has been over 7% for the past ten days.

According to Wednesday’s report from the Florida Department of Health, 7,925 people tested positive for the coronavirus statewide since Tuesday.

In the greater Tampa Bay region, 1,311 people tested positive. It's the third day in four the local total topped 1,000.

Hillsborough County reported 468 positive tests Wednesday. It was the highest single-day total for the county since August 2, when 529 people tested positive. The largest number of daily cases for the county was reported on June 27, when 1,112 positive tests were recorded in a 24-hour period.

In Pasco County, 197 people tested positive — the most in a single day for the county since July 10, when 229 positive tests came back. Pasco's all-time high daily case number was also recorded on June 27, when 304 people tested positive.

Statewide, 905,248 people have tested positive since the pandemic began.

As of noon Wednesday, 3,345 people were being treated at hospitals in Florida because of the virus. That’s 12 fewer than Tuesday. However, admissions were up slightly in every county in the greater Tampa Bay region since Tuesday, with the exception of Pinellas.

The state got back the results for 104,996 tests Tuesday, and of those tested for the first time, 8.16% were positive. It’s the tenth straight day the positivity rate for first-time tests has been over 7%.

State health officials recorded the deaths of 88 people due to complications from COVID-19 since Tuesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 17,949.

In the greater Tampa Bay region, 30 people died due to complications from the virus — 11 of them in Hillsborough County.

The deaths were recorded by the state since Tuesday’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 Wednesday, November 18:

  • Hillsborough: 53,900 / 877
  • Pinellas: 29,737 / 862
  • Polk: 25,696 / 657
  • Manatee: 15,147 / 364
  • Pasco: 12,968 / 263
  • Sarasota: 11,620 / 362
  • Hernando: 4,366 / 187

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

  • Nov. 18: 7,925/88
  • Nov. 17: 7,459/86
  • Nov. 16: 4,663/41
  • Nov. 15: 10,105/30
  • Nov. 14: 4,544/45
  • Nov. 13: 6,933/74
  • Nov. 12: 5,607/73
  • Nov. 11: 5,838/52
  • Nov. 10: 4,353/69
  • Nov. 9: 3,924/58
  • Nov. 8: 6,820/22
  • Nov. 7: 4,452/87
  • Nov. 6: 5,245/54
  • Nov. 5: 6,257/39
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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