WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The coronavirus death toll in Florida subsided one day after record totals, rising by 5 to 178 in Palm Beach County and by 47 to 1,218 in the state, the Florida Department of Health announced Wednesday morning.
State deaths increased by 4.0 percent compared with 7.6 percent on Tuesday when the fatalities rose by 83. The number had jumped from 14 Monday and19 Sunday. The previous daily record was 72 on April 14.
Palm Beach County's death toll increased by 17 Tuesday after one death reported Monday and none on Saturday and Sunday.
The number of new cases also decreased dramatically in one day from 708 to 347 at 33,193 for a 1.0 percent increase. Last Thursday, 1,072 cases were reported. In Palm Beach County, the cases increased by 34 after 114 more Tuesday.
Some more good news from the state a drop in the percentage of positive cases. A total of 375,300 have been tested in the state with 340,295 negative results for 8.8 percent compared with more than 10 percent one week ago. On Monday, the rate was 9.0 percent.
Two massive testing sites are located in Palm Beach County: the South County Civic Center and FITTEAM Ballpark in West Palm Beach. In addition, a test site has opened in Belle Glade as well as in Fort Pierce. Walkup sites are planned in West Palm Beach and Jupiter. Other big testing sites at located at Marlins Park and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami-Dade County.
Miami-Dade County has the most deaths in the state, increasing by 14 to 338 in one day. Broward County rose to 182 with an increase of 3 for second place.
Twenty-three of the additional 47 deaths are linked to South Florida, including one fatality in Indian River, a 65-year-old man, rising to 7. Remaining the same are St. Lucie at 22, Martin at 5 and Okeechobee none.
South Florida accounts for 732 deaths, which is 60.1 percent of the state total though the population comprises 30 percent. The county with the fourth most deaths is Manatee with 49.
The mortality rate involving positive cases is 3.7 percent in the state compared with 5.6 percent in the United States and 7.1 percent worldwide. In Palm Beach County the rate is 6.1 percent compared with 3.7 percent in Broward and 2.8 percent in Miami-Dade. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 9.2 percent in St. Lucie, 7.7 percent in Indian River and 2.7 percent in Martin.
The deaths in the state range from a 26-year-old man in Miami-Dade to a pair of 101-year-old women in Miami-Dade and Collier. Ninety-three percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 60 percent 75 and older.
Florida ranks 10th in the nation in total deaths and 14th in additional deaths, according to Wednesday tracking by Worldometers.info. Florida was 627 behind No. 9 Louisiana. Georgia, which has opened nonessential businesses, is in 11th place with 1,052, an increase of 62 deaths Wednesday after 31 deaths Tuesday and 78 Monday.
New York leads with 23,474 deaths, including 330 more Wednesday after 521 additional Tuesday. New York City has been including presumed deaths from the virus.
Neighboring New Jersey reported 328 deaths -- the second most in the nation -- to remain in second place at 6,770 Wednesday.
Pennsylvania climbed past Illinois and Connecticut into fifth place with 294 more deaths.
The only other state to report more than 200 deaths was Massachusetts' 252 for fourth place. Ohio reported the third-most, 138, but the figure included some fatalities health officials had just been made aware of. No. 3 Michigan added 103 deaths. Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 15th place with 15 more deaths.
A total of 61,656 have died from the virus in the United States, including 2,390 reported Wednesday and 2,470 Tuesday.
The U.S. represented 27.0 percent of the world total and 36.3 percent of the additional deaths.
Italy, which at one time was an epicenter of the virus, is second in the world in deaths but the nation gained only 323 more Wednesday after a high of 919 on March 27. The United Kingdom moved into third place Wednesday because it added 4,419 deaths outside hospitals to zoom to 26,097.
No. 4 Spain increased by 453 fatalities after a high of 961 on April 2. China, the original epicenter, reported only 4 new cases and zero new deaths Thursday, to drop to 11th place behind the Netherlands. Brazil has reported nearly 1,000 additional deaths in the past two days, 520 Wednesday and 448 Tuesday, and is in ninth place.
One week ago Wednesday in the United States, there were 47,894, two weeks ago there were 32,712, three weeks ago 17,691, four weeks ago 6,394, five weeks ago 1,260, six weeks ago 171, seven weeks ago 38, eight weeks ago 11, nine weeks ago 0.
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Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 19 states. The deaths range from a 38-year-old man to a 96-year-old woman. Deaths confirmed Wednesday were two women, 77 and 84, and two men, 71 and 74, with a person without data confirmed after Tuesday's report was released.
The county's total number of confirmed cases are wide-ranging, with the youngest person being an infant girl and boy and the oldest a 104-year-old man. In the state, there are 169 cases of children up to 4.
West Palm Beach leads Palm Beach County with 546 cases, followed by Boca Raton with 440, Lake Worth Beach with 413, Boynton Beach with 372 and Delray Beach with 335. The most cases on the Treasure Coast are in Port St. Lucie with 165.
Palm Beach County has 2,911 cases out of 27,347 total tested, including 55 awaiting results, for 10.6 percent
Miami-Dade leads with 11,927 positive cases out of 83,087 tested for 14.4 percent, and Broward is second with 4,898 cases and 45,297 tested for a 10.8 percentage.
On the Treasure Coast, just one additional case was reported Wednesday -- in Martin.
In St. Lucie, it's 239 positive out of 3,117 total tested for 7.8 percent, followed by Martin with 186 out of 1,759 for 10.6 percent, Indian River with 90 out of 1,782 for 5.1 percent and Okeechobee with 10 out of 371 for 2.7 percent.
A total of 5,419 5,222 people in the state have been hospitalized at one time, which is 197 more than the day before. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died. The number is 431 in Palm Beach County, 68 in St. Lucie, 40 in Martin, 26 in Indian River and 5 in Okeechobee.
Intensive care units' beds are at 36.5 percent capacity, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday. And he said more hospitals beds are available than March 1.
