WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For the third day in a row, Florida broke its daily record for increased residents' deaths, 253, as cases have remained under five digits for five consecutive days, 9,956 – figures that were the second highest in the nation, the Florida Department of Health announced Thursday.
Florida moved past Michigan into seventh place in residents' deaths at 6,586. Florida comprised 17 percent of the reported deaths in the U.S. and 14.5 percent of the cases.
Palm Beach County's fatalities increased by 11 after 16 Wednesday and a record-tying 21 Tuesday for a total of 806, which is the second highest in the state.
The state removed one death because it wasn't deemed to be caused by coronavirus, a 23-year-old man in Okeechobee County announced Wednesday, making the county's total 2, which were identified on July 18. On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie rose by 4 to 118, Martin Indian River climbed by 3 to 41 and Martin remained at 73. Miami-Dade increased by 60, which was more than 46 states, and Broward by 38.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the toll has climbed exponentially. Nonresidents decreased by 1 to 123 with a total death count of 6,709.
The previous two days were records: 186 Tuesday and 216 Wednesday.
Texas for the second day in a row reported the most deaths, 322 Thursday and 315 Wednesday and is in eighth place. Texas this week began basing its deaths on medical examiner reports rather than strictly by the health department. California reported 194 after a record 197 and is in third place overall. No. 14 Arizona added a record 172.
Florida's deaths have hit triple digits all within the past few weeks, including 173 last Thursday, which was a record at the time.
For two days there back-to-back 77 deaths on Sunday and Monday, which were the lowest since 35 on Monday, July 13. .
State and county increases represent deaths received by the state Wednesday and not the number of fatalities that occurred then. The day someone dies and when it is received by the state can lag for several days. So far, the date with the most deaths July 17 with 134.
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 2.1 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 461,379, second in the nation.
California is in first place with 488,766 cases, including the addition of 10,197 Thursday, the highest in the nation, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins. Texas is third behind Florida with 425,658, including an additional 6,274 Thursday. New York, which was the leader during the pandemic until two weeks ago, is a 414,370, with 830 more.
In South Florida, there were 115 of the 253 deaths reported Monday – 45.8 percent – for a total of 3,231 at 49.1 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent. For months the percentage has been above half.
Pinellas is in fourth place with 418, a rise of 18 and Hillsborough climbed by 8 to 331. Lee has 286, with an increase of 7.
Florida has had the most cases in the nation for several days recently, including 9,446 Wednesday.
The last time there were cases more than 10,000 was Saturday's rise of 12,299.
Cases in Florida had stayed below 2,000 until June 13 with 2,581 and they often were under 1,000 with the last one of three digits 966 on June 8.
The cases record was 15,300 was July 5 – the highest daily figure ever in the United States. During the height of the pandemic New York also surpassed 11,000. The second highest is 13,965 on July 16.
Testing in Florida has dramatically ramped up from just a few at select sites to massive places throughout Florida as well as nursing homes, jails and farm workers. The total now is 3,531,721, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 16.4 percent of Florida's population.
The overall positive rate was a record 12.87 percent compared with 12.78 Wednesday.
Several weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 15.98 percent of 95,052 coronavirus or anti-bodies tests reported by labs Wednesday after 16.25 the day before with 88,249, a record 20.71 percent of 51,686 on July 8 when there were 51,686 tests. The lowest over two weeks was 13.50 percent on July 21.
Over two weeks the lowest number tested was 77,149 on July 19. The record test total was 142,964 July 11.
In Palm Beach County, the daily positive rate was the lowest in two weeks, 9.4 percent, compared with 8.6 percent the day before. It was 17.8 in Miami-Dade compared with 16.3 the day before and in Broward it was 13.8 compared with 12.7 the previous day. Elsewhere, it is 10.0 in St. Lucie after 13.3, as well as 9.6 in Martin after 18.8 the day before, 12.0 vs. 12.25 in Indian River and 21.2 in Okeechobee, the highest in two weeks. Miami-Dade's highest was 26.4 on July 8.
The state reported 12.0 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Wednesday compared with 12.25 the day before and 11.88 two weeks ago. The lowest was 10.57 one week ago Tuesday.
With more testing and no requirements for someone to take a test, the median age is at 40, but 41 for tests reported Wednesday. In addition, the state mortality rate is 1.4 percent among residents but among those under 55 it is 0.15 percent.
And at one time, 26,017 have been hospitalized, which is an increase of 518 in one day, compared with 582 the day before.
Cases
In Palm Beach County, new cases were 525 compared with 573 the day before. The record was 1,171 July 5 for a total of 32,696 including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases increased 2,773 compared with 2,791 the day before, and Broward at 1,342 vs. 1,313. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was 94 in St. Lucie, 58 in Martin, 49 in Indian River and 20 in Okeechobee.
In one week, Palm Beach County has risen by 4,429 cases for a 15.7 percent gain. Miami-Dade has risen by 20,848 at 21.9 percent and Broward by 9,302 at 20.7 percent.
Over seven days, Martin climbed by 247 cases for 7.4 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 900 for 22.5 percent, Indian River by 398 for 22.5 percent and Okeechobee by 108 for 14.0 percent.
Deaths
Deaths rose by 1,068 in the state over seven days for 19.4 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 79 for 10.9 percent. Two months ago the one-week figure was in the mid 200. The U.S. figure is 5.0 percent with the world at 6.1 percent.
Miami-Dade climbed to 1,515, which is 161 more in one week. Broward increased to 676 with a rise of 140 in one week.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 21 states, including Nevada at 801 with a gain of 21 and Kentucky at 731 with 7 more.
The state on Thursday identified 11 deaths in Palm Beach County: 6 women ranging from 748 to 92 and five men from 40 to 82. St. Lucie's deaths were two men (80, 72) and two women (60, 90) and Indian River added two men (53 andc93) and a 57-year-old woman.
Tests
Palm Beach County has 32,6961 cases out of 253,3503 total tested for 12.9 percent overall, not including those awaiting tests and inconclusive. Anything 10.0 percent and above is considered out of "target range" by the health department.
Miami-Dade leads with 115,916 positive cases out of 612,433 tested for 18.9 percent, and Broward is second with 54,312 cases and 388,452 tested for 14.0 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 3,561 of 24,123 for 14.8 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 4,903 out of 38,777 for 12.6 percent, Indian River with 6,040 for 14.5 percent.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate, which compares positive cases against deaths, has been trending down in the state.
It is 1.5 percent in the state for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 3.4 percent in the United States and 3.9 percent worldwide, which neared 676,000 deaths and passed 17.4 million cases Wednesday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 2.5 percent, compared with Broward at 1.2 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.3 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 2.4 percent in St. Lucie, 2.0 percent in Martin, 1.9 percent in Indian River and 0.22 percent in Okeechobee.
Florida has 307 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 469 per million. New York, which represents 21.7 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,684 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 86.7 per million.
Age breakdown
The youngest deaths are a 9-year-old girl from Putnam as well as the two 11-year-olds, a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward, who are the only three in the 5-14 age class.
There are 17 deaths in the 15-24 class with the addition of a 19-year-old male from Gadsden. Broward includes a 20-year-old man and 3 women 22 as well as a 16-year-old girl from Lee, a 17-year-old boy from Pasco and a 22-year-old woman from Palm Beach County.
Fifty-one people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus with an increase of 4.
A total of 2,198 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 68 in one day.
Ninety-two percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 61 percent 75 and older with the later decreasing by 1 percentage point. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 26 percent age 55 and older and 6 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 7,633 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 171, and 147 were hospitalized, which was an increase of 7. From ages 5-14, there are 17,341, an increase of 423 with 115 in the hospital at one time, which is an increase of 4.
From the infant to 54 age group, 332,815 of the 456,105 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 491 have died, an increase of 21, for a 0.15 death percentage.
From infant to 64, there are 391,145 cases. A total of 1,155 have died, an increase of 89, for a 0.30 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 8,121, an increase of 134. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 74 to 5,869 followed by Boca Raton at 4,371 up from 4,258, Boynton Beach at 2,857 from 2,810 and Delray Beach at 2,218 vs. 2,174.A total of 675 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 2,877, an increase of 57, followed by Fort Pierce at 1,804, up 80, and Stuart with 1,742 vs. 1,726.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 3 to 356, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 26,017 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 22,664 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 2,580 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 32 compared with 32 the day before; 314 in Martin, an increase of 3; 311 in St. Lucie with an increase of 2, Indian River rose by 12 to 151 and Okeechobee went from 80 to 82.
Long-term care
Forty-five percent of the deaths, 2,921 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 331 in Palm Beach County. The state increase was 85 and in Palm Beach County it was an increase of 7.
National
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 153,840, including an increase of 1,465, the same number as Wednesday, the most since 1,568 on May 28, according to Worldometers.info.
Johns Hopkins reports 152,040, a gain of 1,391.
Cases reached 4,634,985, with an increase of 68,569, according to Worldometers.info. They have exceeded 70,000 six times, including a record 77,978 Friday.
Last Thursday in the U.S., there were 1,192 more deaths and 69,877 more cases reported.
The one week U.S. death increase was 7,404 at 5.0 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,754, including 20 more Thursday, among the lowest since the outbreak, after a high of 799 in April.
Among other states in the top 10: No. 2 New Jersey with 15, No. 4 Massachusetts with 15, No. 5 Illinois 16, No. 6 Pennsylvania 29, No. 8 Michigan 21, No. 10 Connecticut 6.
Other top gainers were No. 21 South Carolina with 52 and No. 22 Mississippi with 48.
No. 23 Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, gained 13.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 23.5 percent of the 6,221 additional deaths Thursday – and 23.0 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 39,036 at 6.1 percent.
Cases increased by 280,337, one day after a record 289,053.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 1,189 Thursday, which was second in the world, after a record 1,554 Wednesday for a total of 91,377. Brazil added 56,271 one day after record 70,869 for a total of 2,613,789 – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 639 more deaths late Thursday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4. Mexico is in fourth place with a total of 46,000.
India added 783 deaths to rise to 35,786 and pass Italy in fifth place. The Asian nation also reported a record 54,966 cases for a third-place total of 1,639,350 behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased from 83 to 38 for third place with 45,999. The daily high was 1,172. No. 6 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 3 deaths, among the lowest since the pandemic. No. 7 France added 16 and No. 8 Spain reported 2.
No. 9 Peru reported no data for two days in a row and No. 10 Iran 226, two days after a record 235.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 834,499, including an additional 5,509. The nation gained 129 deaths for 11th place.
No. 16 Canada added 12 deaths for a total of 8,929 as well as 329 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," announced 9 deaths for a total of 5,739 in 20th and 34 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, hasn't reported a death since July 17, to remain at 255 as well as 35 more cases.
No. 25 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 127 cases after 105 Thursday and 101 Wednesday, the most since early April.
Japan, which passed four digits on Wednesday, is at 1,004, including an additional 3 in 45th place as well as a record 1,148 cases.