Three more Hillsborough residents died from COVID-19 as state cases top 36,000
TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health says the number of known cases of COVID-19 in the state rose by 615 since Saturday morning as the virus spreads and as more people are tested across the state. The total number of cases in Florida is now 36,078.
The number of deaths has reached 1,379, an increase of 15 since Saturday's update. Hillsborough County is reporting that three more residents who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.
Of the 36,078 cases, 35,158 are Florida residents while 920 are non-Florida residents currently in the state.
Bay Area COVID-19 cases by the numbers:
Hillsborough: 1,281
Pinellas: 766
Sarasota: 377
Manatee: 619
Sumter: 226
Polk: 523
Citrus: 99
Hernando: 94
Pasco: 278
Highlands: 85
DeSoto: 36
Hardee: 32
The state is not reporting a total number of "recovered' coronavirus patients or those currently hospitalized. As of Sunday, 6,035 had been hospitalized for treatment at some point.
A total of 429,970 people have been tested in the state as of Friday -- about 1.7% of the population -- according to the Florida Department of Health.
LINK: County-by-county Florida coronavirus cases and ZIP code map
SOURCE: Florida Department of Health
After two peaks in early and mid-April, the state’s curve has generally flattened over the last two weeks. Since April 18, the state has averaged just under 750 new cases per day. That’s down to a level that the health care system can handle, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Florida will gradually lift coronavirus lockdowns in several phases over the next few weeks, the governor announced Wednesday, though parts of the state will reopen more slowly than others.
DeSantis said phase one of the plan to reopen would include wider testing, and he expected to find an increase in cases as more Floridians get tested. Friday's new cases represented the largest single-day increase since April 23.
Editor's note: The number of new cases and deaths reported each day does not necessarily reflect the day that the case was confirmed. The state says some private testing labs dump large batches of test results which include cases from previous days. The state's number of deaths represents permanent Florida residents who have died from COVID-19. The number of non-Florida residents who have died from the coronavirus while in the state is not reported.
If you feel sick:
The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.
LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website
CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: What you need to know
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Map of known COVID-19 cases:
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