WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's coronavirus death toll passed 7,000 among residents as 179 new fatalities were reported and cases failed to reach five digits for one week, a U.S.-high 9,642, and the positive testing rate passed 13 percent for the first time, the Florida Department of Health announced Saturday.
Palm Beach County's fatalities increased by 18 after 9 Friday and a record-tying 21 Tuesday for a total of 833, which is the second highest in the state.
On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie increased by 5 to 125, Indian River Rose by 3 to 48 and Martin remained at 75. Okeechobee, which rose by 4 Friday, remained at 6. Miami-Dade climbed by 36 after 96 on Friday and Broward rose by 33.
Until Saturday, the state record had been broken four days in a row: 257 Friday, 253 Thursday, 216 Wednesday and 186 Tuesday.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the toll has climbed to 7,022 and in seventh place in the nation. The state reduced nonresidents' deaths by 1 to 122 with a total death count of 7,144.
Florida's deaths have hit triple digits all within the past few weeks, including 124 last Saturday.
The last time there were under 100 deaths was back-to-back 77 on Sunday and Monday, which were the lowest since 35 on Monday, July 13.
State and county increases represent deaths received by the state Friday 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 140.
The state's list of deaths and cases Saturday noted 181 deaths were added since the previous day's report and 2 residents were removed because they were "ruled out" as coronavirus-related for a net increase of 179.
Texas for the third day in a row Saturday reported the most deaths in the U.S., 268, after 295 Friday, a record 322 Thursday and 315 Wednesday and is in eighth place behind Florida. California reported a record 216 and is in third place overall.
In the U.S., Florida represented 17.9 percent of the deaths and 19.4 percent of the cases Saturday.
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 2.2 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 480,028, second in the nation. In one week, cases have risen by 65,517 at 15.8 percent.
California is in first place with 506,592 cases, including the addition of 6,542 Saturday, third in the nation behind Florida, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins. Texas is third behind Florida with 444,738, including an additional 9,539, which is the second highest in the U.S. New York, which was the leader during the pandemic until two weeks ago, is at 415,767, with 630 more.
In South Florida, there were 95 of the 179 deaths reported Saturday – 53.1 percent – for a total of 3,476 at 49.5 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent. For months the percentage has been above half.
Pinellas is in fourth place with 437, a rise of 5 and Hillsborough climbed by 6 to 341. Lee has 300, with an increase of 5.
Florida has had the most cases in the nation for several days recently, including 9,007 Friday.
The last time there were cases more than 10,000 was last 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 3,684,875, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 17.1 percent of Florida's population, though some people tested more than once.
The overall positive rate was a record 13.03 percent compared with 12.97 Friday.
Several weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 15.09 percent of 100,568 coronavirus or anti-bodies tests reported by labs Friday after 13.98 the day before with 97,643, a record 20.71 percent 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 77,148 on July 21. The record test total was 142,964 July 11.
In Palm Beach County, the daily positive rate was the lowest in two weeks, 8.8 percent compared with 9.5 the day before.
Miami-Dade's figure 16.2 percent, compared with 14.9 the day before, which was the lowest in two weeks. Miami-Dade's highest was 26.4 on July 8. In Broward it was 12.8 after the day before's 10.8 percent tied for the lowest in two weeks.
Elsewhere, St. Lucie was 10.0 compared with 12.7 the day before as well as 11.4 in Martin after 10.5, Indian River was a two-week low of 5.9 vs. 7.1 and Okeechobee at a two-week high of 26.1 compared with 14.4 the day before.
The state reported 11.08 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Friday – the lowest in two weeks – compared with 10.56 the day before, which was the lowest in two weeks.
With more testing and no requirements for someone to take a test, the median age is at 40, but 42 for tests reported Friday. In addition, the state mortality rate is 1.5 percent among residents but among those under 55 it is 0.15 percent.
And at one time, 26,972 have been hospitalized, which is an increase of 439 in one day, compared with 516 the day before.
Cases
In Palm Beach County, new cases were 580 compared with 678 the day before. The record was 1,171 July 5 for a total of 33,854 including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases increased 2,745 compared with 2,546 the day before, and Broward at 2,388 vs. 1,099. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was 104 in St. Lucie, 35 in Martin, 66 in Indian River and 27 in Okeechobee.
In one week, Palm Beach County has risen by 4,147 cases for a 14.0 percent gain. Miami-Dade has risen by 19,353 at 19.0 percent and Broward by 7,610 at 15.5 percent.
Over seven days, Martin climbed by 238 cases for 7.0 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 790 for 18.3 percent, Indian River by 329 for 17.0 percent and Okeechobee by 118 for 14.7 percent.
Deaths
Deaths rose by 1,245 in the state over seven days for 21.6 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 81 for 10.8 percent. Two months ago the one-week figure was in the mid 200. The U.S. figure is 5.3 percent with the world at 6.1 percent.
Miami-Dade climbed to 1,647, which is 268 more in one week. Broward increased to 742 with a rise of 162 in one week.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 20 states, including Kentucky at 740 with 4 more. Nevada is at 835 after gaining 5.
The state on Saturday identified 18 deaths: 12 men ranging from 34 to 96, including 48 and 50, and 6 woman from 51 to 93. St. Lucie identified six more though the increase was five from Friday: 4 women (52, 67, 76, 86) and 2 men (62, 74). The fatalities in Indian River were two men (70, 81) and a 98-year-old woman, which the oldest of a 98-year-old man.
Tests
Palm Beach County has 33,854 cases out of 260,787 total tested for 13.0 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 121,207 positive cases out of 634,8872 tested for 19.1 percent, and Broward is second with 56,797 cases and 401,778 tested for 14.1 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 3,626 of 24,444 for 14.8 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 5,106 out of 39,795 for 12.8 percent, Indian River with 2,270 of 25,323 for 9.0 percent and Okeechobee 920 of 6,178 for 14.9 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 3.3 percent in the United States and 3.8 percent worldwide, which neared 688,000 deaths and neared 18 million cases Saturday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 2.5 percent, compared with Broward at 1.3 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.4 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 2.4 percent in St. Lucie, 2.1 percent in Martin, 2.1 percent in Indian River and 0.7 percent in Okeechobee.
Florida has 327 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 476 per million. New York, which represents 20.8 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,685 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 88.2 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 no change. 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-two people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus, which was an increase of 1.
A total of 2,336 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 5`1 in one day.
Ninety-two percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 62. 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 7,980 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 180, and 162 were hospitalized, which was an increase of 12. From ages 5-14, there are 18,283, an increase of 504 with 116 in the hospital at one time, which is an increase of 4.
From the infant to 54 age group, 345,822 of the 474,621 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 530 have died, an increase of 19, for a 0.15 death percentage.
From infant to 64, there are 406,748 cases. A total of 1,247 have died, an increase of 92, for a 0.30 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 8,428, an increase of 165. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 92 to 6,033 followed by Boca Raton at 4571 up from 4,467, Boynton Beach at 2,982 from 2,920 and Delray Beach at 2,295 vs. 2,263. A total of 704 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 3,018, an increase of 66, followed by Fort Pierce at 1,850, up 28, and Stuart with 1,772 vs. 1,758.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 6 to 362, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 26,972 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 23,730 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 2,612 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 5 compared with 27 the day before; 320 in Martin, an increase of 4; 323 in St. Lucie with an increase of 6, Indian River rose by 10 to 166 and Okeechobee went from 85 to 87.
Long-term care
Forty-five percent of the deaths, 3,026 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 342 in Palm Beach County, which is second most in the state behind 607 in Miami-Dade. The state increase was 40 and in Palm Beach County it was an increase of 7.
National
Since the first death was reported five months ago on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 157,898, an increase of 1,123 compared with 1,462 Friday, and 1,465 each on Wednesday and Thursday, the most since 1,568 on May 28, according to Worldometers.info.
Johns Hopkins reports 154,319, a gain of 1,008.
Cases reached 4,764,316, with an increase of 58,427, according to Worldometers.info. They have exceeded 70,000 seven times, including a record 78,407 one week ago Friday.
Last Saturday in the U.S., there were 926 more deaths and 68,215 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 7,904 at 5.3 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,765, including 8 more Saturday, 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 10, No. 4 Massachusetts with 17, No. 5 Illinois 8, No. 6 Pennsylvania 8, No. 9 Michigan 7, No. 10 Connecticut no data.
Other top gainers were No. 12 Georgia with 73 and No. 13 Arizona with 53.
No. 24 Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, gained 21.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 20.9 percent of the 5,386 additional deaths Saturday – 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 39,422 at 6.1 percent.
Cases increased by 247,478 behind a record 289,609 one week ago Friday. The cases total was 18,000,186, according to Worldometers.info.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 1,048 Friday, which was second in the world, after a record 1,554 Wednesday for a total of 93,616. Brazil added 42,578 cases three days after record 70,869 for a total of 2,708,876 – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 784 more deaths late Saturday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4 with 47,472. On Friday, Mexico moved past United Kingdom into third place. For the first time since the pandemic, the three nations with the most deaths are all in the Western Hemisphere. Mexico also set a cases record with 9,556.
India added 854 deaths to rise to 37,403 and in fifth place. The Asian nation also reported 54,865 cases after a record 57,704 Friday for a third-place total of 1,751,919 behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased from 83 to 74 with 46,688. 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 5 deaths, among the lowest since the pandemic. No. 7 France and No. 8 Spain didn't report any data.
No. 9 Peru also reported no data and No. 10 Iran had 216.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 845,443, including an additional 5,462. The nation gained 95 deaths for 11th place.
No. 16 Canada added 6 deaths for a total of 8,941 as well as 287 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," reported no data after 9 deaths Friday for a total of 5,743 in 20th and 45 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, hasn't reported a death since July 17, to remain at 255 as well as 13 more cases.
No. 25 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 49 cases Sunday after 127 Friday, the most since early April.
Japan, which passed four digits on Wednesday, is at 1,011, including an additional 5 in 45th place as well as a record 1,464 cases.