Florida added 173 deaths on Thursday, shattering the previous record of 120 and bringing the state’s new total death toll to 5,632
According to the Department of Health, the state added 10,249 cases, which brings Florida’s statewide total to 389,868 infections since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally, the current positive test rate is about 12%, and 401 new patients were hospitalized.
There are currently a total of 9,581 COVID-19 patients across Florida, which makes up about 21% of hospital beds and 16% of ICU beds, says the Agency for Health Care Administration. So far, 22,644 have been hospitalized throughout the state. Roughly 1,700 of these patients are in the Tampa Bay area, with the majority in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, says the AHCA.
Locally, Hillsborough County continues to lead Tampa Bay with 25,432 cases, while Pinellas currently has 14,371.
Yesterday, Gov. Ron DeSantis stressed the importance of children returning to school, but also said parents should have the right to choose.
“I believe that we owe every Florida parent a choice to send your child back to school for in-person instruction or to opt to maintain distance learning. The evidence that schools can be open in a safe way is overwhelming,” said DeSantis on Wednesday.
The governor’s announcement came the same day a 9-year-old girl from Putnam County passed away from complications of COVID-19, making her the youngest person to die from the virus in the state.
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This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2020.
