WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida led the nation Thursday with a state-record 156 additional deaths and 13,965 cases, the second most ever in the state, as the overall positive rate rose to a record 11.2 percent and tests were 116,311 in one day, the Florida Health Department announced.
Palm Beach County's death toll increased by 4 to 638, after 10 Wednesday, 13 Tuesday and a record 20 one week ago Tuesday. On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie climbed by 2 to 72, Martin rose by 3 to 46, Indian River remained at 22. Okeechobee reported its first two deaths Saturday.
Florida represented 19.0 percent of the nation's cases and 16.2 percent of the deaths reported Thursday.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the toll has climbed to 4,677 into eighth place. The number of nonresident deaths listed is 105 for a total death count of 4,782.
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.
The previous record of newly reported deaths was 132 Tuesday. Before that it was 120 was last Thursday, followed by 93 Friday then 95 Saturday. Until last week, the record was 83 on Tuesday, April 28.
Palm Beach County is second in the state for deaths, increasing by 60 in one week. Miami-Dade climbed to 1,246, a rise of 44 in one day and 154 in one week. Broward remained at 464 for the fourth day in a row and 27 over 7 days.
In South Florida, there were 53 of the 156 deaths reported Thursday – 34.0 percent – for a total of 2,490 or 53.2 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent.
Hillsborough reported the second-most deaths, 40, and is in sixth place with a total of 232. PInellas is in fourth place with 295 deaths, including 17 new ones.
Nationally, Texas set a state record with 129 deaths and is 10th overall, followed by California with 118 in rising to fourth place past Illinois. South Carolina climbed by a state-record 72 for 1,072 in 25th place.
Since the first two cases were announced four months ago on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 1.5 percent of the state's 21.48 million population at 315,775. Only two other states have passed 300,000: New York and California. Texas reported the second-most cases, 10,291, and is in fourth place followed by California with 8,544.
One week ago Sunday, cases surpassed 200,000 in Florida.
Cases rose by 83,056 over one week for 35.8 percent.
Cases reached five digits in the state for the eighth time. Tuesday's cases were 9,194, Monday's cases were 12,624 and Sunday's cases total was 15,300 – the highest daily figure ever in the United States. During the height of the pandemic New York also surpassed 11,000. Previous highs in Florida were 11,458 on week ago Saturday, 11,433 on Friday, 10,360 Saturday and 10,059 last Sunday.
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 2,819,000, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 13.1 percent of Florida's population.
The overall positive rate climbed to 11.2 percent from 11.0 percent the day before. A few weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 15.42 percent of results reported by labs Wednesday after 16.58 the day before, a record 20,71 on July 8 and 17.15 two weeks ago when there were 68,078 tests.
The daily percentages for all tests include 18.5 in Miami-Dade, 16.6 in Broward, 11.3 in Palm Beach, 19.2 in Martin, 12.4 in St. Lucie, 12.4 in Okeechobee and 10.6 in Indian River. Palm Beach reached as high as 15.7 over two weeks on July 6 and Indian River was 5.1 n July 6. The state's target rate is less than 10.0 percent.
There were 116,311 tests from labs Wednesday for confirmed coronavirus or anti-bodies compared with 80,386 the day before and 67,078 the day before that. The record was 142,969 on Saturday. Two weeks ago there were 67,078 tests.
The state reported 12.94 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Wednesday compared with 15.03 the day before and 17.15 two weeks ago.
With more testing and no requirements for someone to take a test, the median age has decreased to 39, including 40 for tests reported Wednesday. In addition, the state mortality rate has subsided to 1.5 percent among residents but among those under 55 it is less than 0.2 percent.
And at one time, 19,825 have been hospitalized, which is an increase of 491 in one day, compared with 490 the day before.
Deaths rose by 668 in the state over seven days for 16.7 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 60 for 10.4 percent. Recently, the state increase was one-third. The U.S. figure is 3.9 percent with the world at 6.3 percent.
Cases
In Palm Beach County, new cases were 923, the second highest ever, compared with 509 Wednesday and a record 1,171 Sunday for a total of 22,788 including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases increased 3,106, compared with 1,987 the day before, and Broward at 1,413 vs. 1,321. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise was 92 in St. Lucie, 50 in Martin, 45 in Indian River and 11 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.
Palm Beach County has risen by 5,146 cases in one week for a 27.7 percent gain. Miami-Dade has risen by 19,462 at 34.8 percent and Broward by 10,454 at 41.6 percent.
Over seven days, Martin County climbed by 440 cases for 17.3 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 818 for 33.0 percent, Indian River County by 386 for 36.9 percent.
Deaths
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 20 states, including Nevada at 626, which reported 8 new deaths Thursday.
The state on Thursday identified four deaths in Palm Beach County: 2 men (84, 91) and two women (85, 86). The Martin fatalities were two men (83, 89) and a 85-year-old woman. The deaths in St. Lucie were two men, 71 and 92.
Tests
Palm Beach County has 23,711 cases out of 198,763 total tested for 11.9 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 75,425 positive cases out of 462,196 tested for 16.3 percent, and Broward is second with 35,566 cases and 296,644 tested for 12.0 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 2,985 of 21,028 for 14.2 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 3,301 positive out of 30,843 for 10.7 percent, Indian River with 1,431 out of 19,987 for 7.2 percent and Okeechobee with 586 out of 4,792 for 12.5 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 3.8 percent in the United States and 4.2 percent worldwide, which neared 592,000 deaths and passed 13.9 million cases Thursday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 2.7 percent, compared with Broward at 1.4 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.7 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 2.2 percent in St. Lucie, 1.5 percent in Indian River, 1.5 percent in Martin and 0.3 percent in Okeechobee.
Florida has 218 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 426 per million. New York, which represents one-quarter of the deaths in the nation, has 1,672 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 75.9 per million.
Age breakdown
The youngest deaths are two 11-year-olds: a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward, who are the only two in the 5-14 age class.
There are 12 deaths in the 15-24 class with no change from the day before. They include a 20-year-old male and two 22-year-old females 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-nine people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus, an increase of 3.
The oldest is a 108-year-old woman from Miami-Dade. A total of 1,615 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 37 in one day.
Ninety-three percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 63 percent 75 and older. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 25 percent age 55 and older, a decrease of 1` percentage point, and 6 percent 75 and older, also 1 percentage point less.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 4,735 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 200, and 98 were hospitalized, a rise of 1. From ages 5-14, there are 10,813, an increase of 534 with 74 in the hospital at one time, also an increase of `.
From the infant to 54 age group, 229,226 of the 311,640 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 340 have died, increase of 11, for a 0.14 death percentage.
From infant to 65, there are 267,956 cases. A total of 764 have died, an increase of 33, for a 0.30 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 5,686 , an increase of 239. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 151 to 4,432, followed by Boynton Beach at 2,085 from 2,012, Boca Raton at 2,7932, up from 2,780, Delray Beach at 1,558from 1,508. A total of 444 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 2,019, an increase of 53, followed by Stuart with 1,489 vs. 1,472.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 5 to 276, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 19,825 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 17,167 last Thursday. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 2,191 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 43 compared with 33 the day before; 253 in Martin, an increase of 8; 259 in St. Lucie with a rise of 2, Indian River increased by 4 to 104 and Okeechobee increased from 55 to 58.
Long-term care
Nearly half of the deaths, 2,255, are residents and staff of long-term care, including 266 in Palm Beach County. The state increase was 57 and in Palm Beach County it was 2.
National
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 140,118, including an increase of 963 Thursday after 1,002 Wednesday.
The previous time deaths were more than 1,000 was June 9 with 1,105. Johns Hopkins reports 138,267.
Cases reached 3,695,025, with an increase of a record 73,388, which was the third time they passed 70,000.
Last Thursday in the U.S., there were 961 more deaths and 61,574 more cases reported.
The one week U.S. death increase was 5,327 at 3.9 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,518, including 23 more Wednesday after a high of 799 in April. The state's percentage share has been decreasing for weeks to 23.0 percent.
Among other states in the top 10: No. 2 New Jersey with 31, No. 3 Massachusetts `12, No. 5 Illinois 25, No. 6 Pennsylvania 28, No. 7 Michigan 18, No. 9 Connecticut 9.
No. 14 Georgia added 13 and Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 21th place with 7 more.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 16.7 percent of the 5,741 additional deaths Thursday – and 23.8 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 35,260 at 6.3 percent.
The additional death toll last Thursday was 5,423.
Cases increased by a record 248,913, ahead of the previous record of 236,918 Friday.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported a world-high 1,261 deaths after 1,261 Wednesday for a total of 76,822. The record is 1,492 on June 4. Brazil added 43,829 cases for a total of 1,970,169 cases – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 668 more deaths late Thursday compared with 578 the day before and high of 1,092 on June 4. On Sunday, Mexico moved past Italy in fourth place and has a total of 37,574. In addition, there were 6,406 cases, behind the record 7,280 Thursday.
India added 680 deaths after 614 Wednesday to rise to 25,609 in eighth place. The Asian nation also reported a record 35,468 cases for a third-place total of 1,005,637, behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased from 85 to 66 for third place with 45,119, which is behind the United States and Brazil. The high was 1,172.
No. 5 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 20 deaths, among the lowest since the pandemic. No. 6 France added 18 and No. 7 Spain 3.
Also in the top 10, No. 9 Iran reported 198 after a record 221one week ago Thursday. No. 10 Peru had 198.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 752,797, including an additional 6,428. The nation gained 167 deaths for 11th place.
No. 14 Canada added 17 deaths for a total of 8,827 as well as 435 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," reported 10 deaths for a total of 5,593 in 18th and 115 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, reported 1 death to rise to 254 as well as 4 more cases.
China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and dropped to 23rd, behind South Africa, and added 10 cases Friday.