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Florida's total cases surpass New York for second; deaths rise by 124

State toll rises to 5,777; cases climb by 12,199
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Posted at 11:09 AM, Jul 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-26 01:31:59-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's coronavirus cases climbed by a U.S.-high 12,199 and the total number moved past New York into second in the nation as deaths hit triple digits for the 10th time, 124. Also, the daily positive rate dropped for every South Florida county from the day before, the Florida Department of Health announced Saturday.

Florida's cases are 414,511 compared with 440,325 in California and 410,450 in New York, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins. New York's cases grew by only 845.

Palm Beach County's deaths increased by 8 to 752, a total that is the second highest in the state, after 17 Friday, 18 Thursday and a record 21 one week ago Friday. On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie rose by 1 to 96, Martin climbed by a record 5 to 63 and Indian River increased by 2 to 33. Okeechobee reported its first two deaths one week ago Saturday. And Broward climbed by a state-high 34.

Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 1.9 percent of the state's 21.48 million population at 414,511. Cases rose by 79,310 over one week for a 24.6 percent gain.

Deaths have hit triple digits all within the past two weeks. Friday's increase was 135 after a record 173 Thursday. Other 100-plus dates were 139 Wednesday, 134 Tuesday, 128 on July 24, 156 on July 16, 112 on July 15, 132 on July 13 and 120 on July 9.

Last Saturday's increase was 90.

Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the toll has climbed to 5,777 of residents into eighth place in the U.S. The number of nonresident deaths increased by 2 to 117 for a total death count of 5,894.

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 was 112 on July 16.

On Saturday, the state's list of deaths and cases noted 125 deaths were added since Friday and 1 resident was removed because it was "ruled out" as coronavirus-related for a net increase of 124. There also was a reduction in the state database by 1 the previous two days.

Palm Beach County increased by 88 deaths in one week. Miami-Dade climbed to 1,379, which was an increase of 9 in one day and 105 in one week. Broward increased by 34 to 580 and 92 over over 7 days.

In South Florida, there were 60 of the 124 deaths reported Saturday for a total of 2,905 for 50.3percent though the population only comprises 30 percent.

Pinellas is in fourth place with 372, a rise of 5 and Hillsborough remained at 280. Lee has 258, which increased by 6.

On Saturday, Texas reported the most deaths, 168, which was 29 less than the state record Wednesday, and is now in ninth place overall. No. 4 California reported 151, which was 8 less than the state record Friday, followed by Arizona with 144 and in 15th place. Also, No. 23 South Carolina gained 80 and No. 12 Georgia 53.

In cases, Florida was No. 1 with California second at 10,066 and Texas with 8,112.

Friday's increased total was 12,444. For two days this week the cases were under 10,000 – Wednesday's was 9,785 and Tuesday's was 9,440.

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 3,340,929, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 15.6 percent of Florida's population.

The overall positive rate was a record 12.41 percent compared with 12.26 Friday.

Several weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 15.27 percent of 120,688 coronavirus or anti-bodies tests reported by labs Friday after 16.64 the day before with 106,274, a record 20.71 percent of 51,686 on July 8 when there were 51,686 tests. The lowest over two weeks was 12.89 percent on July 12.

The record test total was 142,964 July 11.

Every South Florida counties' daily positive rate dropped from the previous day. They were 9.6 in Palm Beach, 19.7 in Miami-Dade, 13.0 in Broward, 6.5 in Martin, 5.9 in Indian River, 11.8 in St. Lucie and 11.8 in Okeechobee. Palm Beach's figure was the lowest in two weeks after reaching as high as 16.1 over two weeks on July 13. And Miami-Dade's highest was 26.4 on July 8.

The state reported 11.34 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Friday -- nearly the lowest in two weeks -- compared with 13.30 the day before and 11.36 two weeks ago. The lowest was 10.54 on Tuesday.

With more testing and no requirements for someone to take a test, the median age is at 40, but 41 for tests reported Friday. In addition, the state mortality rate has subsided to 1.4 percent among residents but among those under 55 it is 0.14 percent.

And at one time, 23,730 have been hospitalized, which is an increase of 505 in one day, compared with 581 the day before.

Cases

In Palm Beach County, new cases were 703 compared with 737 the day before. The record was 1,171 July 5 for a total of 29,004 including residents and nonresidents.

Miami-Dade's cases increased 3,424 compared with 3,362 the day before, and Broward at 1,2,611 vs. 1,566. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise was 163 in St. Lucie, 31 in Martin, 104 in Indian River and 5 in Okeechobee.

In one week, Palm Beach County has risen by 4,662 cases for a 18.6 percent gain. Miami-Dade has risen by 20,825 at 25.7 percent and Broward by 11,056 at 29.0 percent.

Over seven days, Martin County climbed by 330 cases for 10.8 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 816 for 19.6 percent, Indian River County by 437 for 29.0 percent and Okeechobee by 169 for 26.7 percent.

Deaths

Deaths rose by 882 in the state over seven days for 15.6 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 86 for 12.9 percent. Recently, the weekly state increase was in the 200s. The U.S. figure is 4.3 percent with the world at 6.5 percent.

Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 21 states, including Nevada at 732 with a gain of 10 and Kentucky at 696 with 5 more.

The state on Saturday identified 8 fatalities in Palm Beach County: 5 men (42, 66, 82, 89, 92) and three women (66, 72, 93). The 5 fatalities in Martin were three men (81, 85, 88) and two women (87, 92). Indian River's deaths were a 60-year-old woman and an 88 year-old man. St. Lucie's reported a 80-year-old woman as the new death.

Tests

Palm Beach County has 29,707 cases out of 235,583 total tested for 12.6 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 101,854 positive cases out of 558,801 tested for 18.2 percent, and Broward is second with 48,187 cases and 357,357 tested for 13.5 percentage.

In Martin County, it's 3,388 of 23,178 for 14.6 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 4,316 out of 36,155 for 11.9 percent, Indian River with 1,941 out of 23,019 for 8.4 percent and Okeechobee with 802 out of 5,708 for 14.1 percent.

Mortality rate

The mortality rate, which compares positive cases against deaths, has been trending down in the state.

It is 1.4 percent in the state for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 3.5 percent in the United States and 4.0 percent worldwide, which passed 647,000 deaths and passed 16.1 million cases Saturday.

Palm Beach County's rate was 2.5 percent, compared with Broward at 1.2 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.4 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 2.2 percent in St. Lucie, 1.9 percent in Martin, 1.7 percent in Indian River and 0.25 percent in Okeechobee.

Florida has 269 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 451 per million. New York, which represents 21.9 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,680 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 83.1 per million.

Age breakdown

The youngest deaths are a 9-year-old girl from Putnam identified Wednesday 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 14 deaths in the 15-24 class with no change. They include two 20-year-old males and a 20-year-old female from Broward. Others in the state include a 16-year-old girl from Lee, a 17-year-old boy from Pasco and a 22-year-old woman from Palm Beach County.

Thirty-nine people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus with no change.

A total of 1,977 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 46 in one day.

Ninety-two percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 62 percent 75 and older. 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 6,810 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 233, and 127 were hospitalized, which was an increase of 6. From ages 5-14, there are 15,267, an increase of 539 with 96 in the hospital at one time, which went up by 5.

From the infant to 54 age group, 299,515 of the 409,585 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 423 have died, increase of 5, for a 0.14 death percentage.

From infant to 65, there are 351,300 cases. A total of 996 have died, an increase of 14, for a 0.28 percentage.

Cities

West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 7,378, an increase of 222. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 112 to 5,409, followed by Boca Raton at 38,30, up from 3,714, Boynton Beach at 2,592 from 2,552, Delray Beach at 2009 from 1,948. A total of 569 in the county not designated by a city.

Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 2,540, an increase of 84, followed by Stuart with 1,662 vs. 1,645.

In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 11 to 336, compared with only 3 on May 31.

Hospitalizations

A total of 23,730 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 20,632 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.

The number is 2,456 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 33 compared with 32 the day before; 291 in Martin, an increase of 1; 281 in St. Lucie with an increase of 5, Indian River rose by 2 to 128 and Okeechobee went from 68 to 70.

Long-term care

Nearly half of the deaths, 2,645 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 310 in Palm Beach County. The state increase was 46 and in Palm Beach County it was 3.

National

Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 149,398, including an increase of 908 Saturday after four days of four-digit increases.

Wednesday's increase of 1,205 is the highest since 1,233 on May 29.

Johns Hopkins reports 146,418 deaths.

Cases reached 4,315,709, with an increase of 67,413. They have exceeded 70,000 six times, including a record 77,978 Friday.

Last Saturday in the U.S., there were 813 more deaths and 63,259 more cases reported.

The one week U.S. death increase was 6,521 at 4.6 percent.

New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,679, including 14 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 18, No. 3 Massachusetts with 12, No. 5 Illinois 12, No. 6 Pennsylvania 4, No. 7 Michigan none, No. 10 Connecticut no data.

Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 21th place with an additional 2.

Worldwide

The U.S. represented 15.9 percent of the 5,713 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 39,610 at 6.5 percent.

Cases increased by 258,228.

Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported a world-high 1,111 deaths, ahead of the U.S., for a total of 86,496. The record is 1,492 on June 4. Brazil added 48,234 cases for a total of 2,396,434 – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.

Mexico reported 729 more deaths late Saturday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4. Mexico is in fourth place with a total of 43,374. In addition, there were 5,751 cases.

India added 690 deaths after a record 1,120 three days ago to rise to 32,096 in sixth place. The Asian nation also reported a record 48,472 cases for a third-place total of 13,85,494 behind the U.S. and Brazil.

Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased to 53 from 123 for third place with 45,738. The daily high was 1,172. No. 5 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 5 deaths, among the lowest. No. 7 France and No. 8 Spain reported no deaths.

No. 9 Peru had 187 and No. 10 Iran 195.

Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 806,720, including an additional 5,871. The nation gained 146 deaths for 11th place.

Canada added 7 deaths for a total of 8,885 to drop to 15th as well as 350 cases.

Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," reported no data after 10 Friday for a total of 5,697 in 20th and 82 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, reported no deaths for the sixth day in a row to remain at 255 as well as 19 more cases.

China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and dropped to 24th behind Indonesia, added 36 cases Sunday.

Japan reported 833 cases after a record 925 cases the day before as well as one 1 death to rise to 993 Saturday and in 45th place.