WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Deaths in Florida skyrocketed by 120 in one day, shattering the previous record of 83, as cases increased by 8,935 and the daily positive rate climbed to a record 20.72 percent, the Florida Department of Health announced Thursday.
Palm Beach County's death toll rose by 9 to 578, compared with a record increase of 20 on Tuesday and 6 on Wednesday. The previous record was 17 new deaths in one day.
The state hasn't given an explanation of the huge spike in deaths but other states have reported bigger numbers because of a backlog, including from the three-day holiday weekend.
In turn, fewer tests was been reported digits and cases failed to reach five digits for the fourth time. With 232,718 cases, Florida is fourth behind New York with 425,072, California with 303,323 and Texas with 241,323.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the toll has climbed to 4,009, which is ninth in the nation. The number of nonresident deaths remained at 102 for a total death count of 4,111.
Two other states reported record-high death totals Thursday, according to state website: California with 149 for sixth place total and No. 12 Texas with 105. No. 2 New Jersey was third with 106 followed by No. 16 Arizona with 75 after setting the state record with 117 two days ago.
Deaths in Florida rose by 48 one day ago and by 67 last Thursday. The previous record of 83 was on April 28, with 72 deaths reached twice.
On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie County remained at 59 and Martin County rose by 2 to 36 and Indian River increased by 1 to 18. Okeechobee has none.
Palm Beach County is second in the state for deaths, rising by 52 in one week. Miami-Dade climbed to 1,092, a rise of 24 in one day and 74 in one week. Broward increased by 8 to 427 and 33 over 7 days. Lee is in fourth place with 176, an increase of 5.
Forty-four of the 120 deaths reported Thursday were in South Florida – 36.7 percent – for a total of 2,210, or 55.1 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent.
Deaths rose by 392 in the state over seven days for 10.8 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 55 for 11.0 percent. The U.S. figures are 2.6 percent with the world at 6.4 percent.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 20 states, including Nevada at 571, which added 18 Thursday.
After a three-day holiday weekend, cases statewide increased by 6,336 Monday and by 7,347 Tuesday. But over the previous four days, cases climbed 41,714, including 10,059 Sunday, the record 11,458 Saturday, 9,488 Friday and 10,109 Thursday. The previous record before the four-day spurt was 9,585 one Saturday ago.
Since the first two cases were announced four months ago on March 1, the total has surged to more than 1 percent of the state's population.
In one week, Florida's cases have risen by 63,612 for an increase of 37.6 percent.
Testing 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. But the sites were closed for three days for the holiday instead of the usual Sunday. The total now is 2,359,636, fourth in the nation. That figure is more than 10 percent of Florida's population of 21.4 million.
There were 51,700 tests from labs on Wednesday for confirmed coronavirus or anti-bodies. The total the day before was 75,859 and two days ago 48,507.
Likewise the positive rate has zoomed up. A few weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 20.72 percent of results reported by labs Wednesday, but only 14.2 percent in Palm Beach County. The overall percentage climbed to 9.9 percent from 9.6 percent the day before but below 10 percent several weeks ago.
With more testing and no requirements for someone to take a test, the median age has decreased to 39 and 38 for tests reported Wednesday. In addition, the state mortality rate has subsided to 1.8 percent among residents but among those under 55 it is less than 0.2 percent.
And at one time, 17,167 have been hospitalized, which is an increase of 409 in one day.
Cases
In Palm Beach County, new cases were 434, compared with 593 Wednesday and a record 825 Saturday for a total of 18,656, including residents and nonresidents. The previous record was 658 one week ago Friday.
Miami-Dade's cases increased 1,987, compared with 2,916 the day before, and Broward at 1,31 vs. 1,186. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise was 50 in St. Lucie, 42 in Martin, 53 in Indian River and 7 in Okeechobee.
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.
Florida's new cases Thursday were second behind Texas with 9,782. California was less than Florida with 7,031, Georgia with 2,837 and Arizona with 4,057.
Palm Beach County has risen by 3,797 cases in one week for a 25.6 percent gain. Miami Dade has risen by 15,296 at 39.0percent and Broward by 7,986 at 46.7 percent.
Over seven days, Martin County climbed by 394 cases for 18.3 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 607 for 32.4 percent, Indian River County by 273 for 35.6 percent and Okeechobee County by 69 for 17.7 percent.
Deaths
The state on Thursday identified nine deaths in Palm Beach County, five men and four women, ranging from a 36-year-old woman to a 90-year-old woman. Two fatalities, a 67-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman entered as cases into the database in May.
Martin County's new deaths were a 71-year-old man and an 85-year-old woman. Indian River's addition was a 75-year-old woman.
Testing
The positive rate for tests received Wednesday was more than 3 percentage points than the 17.29 the day before and 14.0 two weeks ago when there were 71,477 tests.
The state reported 18.39 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Wednesday, compared with 14.11 the day before. Two weeks ago, the percentage was 13.07.
The daily percentages for all tests include 26.2 in Miami-Dade, 22.7 in Broward, 15.8 in Martin, 14.2 in Palm Beach and St. Lucie, 14.0 in Okeechobee and 12.6 in Indian River.
Palm Beach County has 18,656 cases out of 169,504 total tested for 11.0 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 55,961 positive cases out of 389,016 tested for 14.4 percent, and Broward is second with 25,102 cases and 244,653 tested for 10.3 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 2,545 of 18,986 for 13.4 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 2,483 positive out of 26,341 for 9.4 percent, Indian River with 1,045 out of 167,012 for 6.1 percent and Okeechobee with 459 out of 4,256 for 10.7 percent.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate, which compares positive cases against deaths, has been trending down in the state.
It is 1.8 percent in the state for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 4.2 percent in the United States and 4.5 percent worldwide, which neared 557,000 deaths and neared 12.4 million cases Thursday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 3.1 percent, compared with Broward at 1.8 percent and Miami-Dade with 2.0 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 2.4 percent in St. Lucie, 1.7 percent in Indian River and 1.4 percent in Martin.
Florida has 187 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 410 per million. New York, which represents one-quarter of the deaths in the nation, has 1,663 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 71.4 per million.
Age breakdown
The youngest death is a 11-year-old boy from Miami-Dade County – the first in the 5-14 age class. Also Thursday, the Broward medical examiner's office reported a 11-year-old girl has died of coronavirus though she had other medical conditions. The state has not confirmed this death yet in its database.
There are nine deaths in the 15-24 class, including a 20-year-old male and a 22-year-old female from Broward, a 16-year-old girl from Lee, a 17-year-old boy from Pasco County and a 22-year-old woman from Palm Beach County.
Twenty-three people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus. The oldest is a 108-year-old women from Miami-Dade. A total of 1,413 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 43 in one day.
Ninety-two percent of the fatalities are 55 and older, a drop of 2 percentage points in one day, and 63 percent 75 and older, a decrease of 1 point. Until Thursday, the figure for 55 and older had not dipped below 94 percent. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 26 percent age 55 and older and 7 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 3,679 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 141, and 80 were hospitalized, which is an increase of 2 in one day. In all, there were 1,043 cases of children under 1. From ages 5-14, there are 7,690, an increase of 364 with 63 in the hospital at one time, a rise of 1.
From the infant to 54 age group, 168,253 of the 229,367 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 279 have died for a 0.2 death percentage.
From infant to 65, there are 196,348 cases. A total of 651 have died for a 0.3 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 4,390, an increase of 82. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 173 to 3,617, followed by Boynton Beach at 1,643 from 1,598, Boca Raton at 2,138, up from 2,068, Delray Beach at 1,215 from 1,179. A total of 357 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 1,579, an increase of 230, followed by Stuart with 1,261 vs. 1,234.
In Indian River, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 18 to 237, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 17,167 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 14,825 last Thursday. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 1,997 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 76 compared with 24 the day; 216 in Martin, an increase of 3; 216 in St. Lucie with an increase of 2, Indian River remained at 76 and Okeechobee increased to 48 from 47.
Long-term care
More than half of the deaths, 2,029, are residents and staff of long-term care, including 243 in Palm Beach County. The state increase was 35 and in Palm Beach County it was 3.
National
Florida, which is the third-most-populous state, is in ninth place, 649 ahead of Louisiana, which reported 16 deaths Thursday, according to Worldometers.info.
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 135,822, including an increase of 960 Thursday after 890 Wednesday.
The last time deaths were more than 1,000 was June 9 with 1,105. Johns Hopkins reports 133,209.
Cases reached 3,219,999 with an increase of 61,067, just below a record 61,848 Wednesday.
Last Thursday, there were 687 more deaths and 57,318 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 3,374 at 2.6 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,343, including 32 more Thursday after a high of 799 in April. It percentage share has been decreasing for weeks to 23.8 percent.
Among other states in the top 10: No. 3 Massachusetts 25, No. 4 Illinois 20, No. 5 Pennsylvania 21, No. 7 Michigan 9 and No. 8 Connecticut 5.
No. 14 Georgia added 8 and Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 21th place, with an increase of 15.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 17.7 percent of the 5,404 additional deaths Wednesday – and 24.4 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 33,312 at 6.4 percent.
The additional death toll last Wednesday was 5,158.
Cases increased by a record 222,825 after the record was broken Wednesday with 213,681.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 1,199 deaths, which was the most in the world, after 1,87 Wednesday for a total of 68,055. The record is 1,492 on June 4. Brazil added 42,907 cases after a record 55,209 one week ago Friday. The South American nation has a total of 1,759,103 cases – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 730 more deaths late Thursday compared with 782 the day before and high of 1,092 on June 4, for fifth place with 33,526. In addition, there were a record 7,280 cases, beating the record one day earlier of 6,995.
India added 479 deaths after 491 Wednesday to rise to 21,623 in eighth place. The Asian nation also reported a record 25,790 case, beating the previous day's record of 25,571 for a third-place total of 794,842, behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased from 126 to 85 for third place with 44,602, which is behind the United States and Brazil. The high was 1,172.
Fourth-place Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 12 deaths, among the lowest since the pandemic. No. 6 France added 14 and No. 7 Spain 5.
Also in the top 10, No. 9 Iran reported a record 221, surpassing the 200 mark on Tuesday. No. 10 Peru had 181.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 707,381, including an additional 6,509. The nation gained 176 deaths for 11th place.
No. 14 Canada added 12 deaths for a total of 8,749.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity, reported 15 deaths for a total of 5,500 in 17th and 48 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, reported 2 death after eight days in a row with none to rise to 252 as well as 15 more cases.
China, the original epicenter of the world , hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 4 cases Friday. China dropped to 22nd behind Colombia, which added 187 deaths.