WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Coronavirus deaths in Palm Beach County rose by 9 to 144 as state fatalities rose by 60 for the second day in a row to 987, the Florida Department of Health announced Thursday night.
The state death toll increased by 6.5 percent. Earlier this week, there were fewer deaths announced -- 44 on Tuesday and 49 on Monday. The record number of deaths was 72 on April 14.
The cases in Florida rose by 1,072 to 29,648, which is a 3.8 percent gain after an additional 707 Wednesday, 811 Tuesday and 744 Monday.
A total of 303,050 have been tested in the state with 271,499 negative results for 9.8 percent compared with 10.3 percent last Friday. In Palm Beach County, the numbers increased by 146 after 93 Wednesday and 60 Tuesday.
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. Other big testing sites at located at Marlins Park and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami-Dade County.
On Thursday morning, the state announced 33 additional deaths and 27 more in the evening update. In Palm Beach County, 8 more deaths were announced in the morning and one more in the evening. The latest deaths in the county are six men, 50, 78, 80, 84, 89, 96, and three women, 93, 94, 97.
Miami-Dade County has the most deaths in the state, increasing by 18 to 270 in one day. Broward County rose to 157 with an increase of 10 for second place.
Thirty-nine of the additional 60 deaths are linked to South Florida, including one fatality announced in St. Lucie, a 94-year-old woman, rising to 17, and one more in Martin, an 82-year-old man, for a total of 5. Indian River remains at 5 and Okeechobee has yet to report a death.
South Florida accounts for 598 deaths, which is 60.1 percent of the state total though the population comprises 30 percent.
The mortality rate involving positive cases is 3.3 percent in the state compared with 5.7 percent in the United States and 7.0 percent worldwide. In Palm Beach County the rate is 5.3 percent compared with 3.5 percent in Broward and 2.6 percent in Miami-Dade. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 7.7 percent in St. Lucie, 5.7 percent in Indian River and 3.0 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. The death in Collier was announced Thursday along with a 99-year-old woman in the county. Ninety-four percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 59 percent 75 and older.
Florida ranks 10th in the nation in total deaths and 10th in increase of deaths from the day before, according to Thursday tracking by Worldometers.info.
New York leads with 20,861 deaths, including 507 additional deaths after 661 more fatalities Wednesday. New Jersey dropped from 310 to 305 for a total of 5,368, second in the nation. Michigan increased from 113 to 164 for third place at 2,977, Massachusetts declined from 221 to 178 for fourth place at 2,360. Washington, which at one time was the epicenter in the United States, is in to 13th place at 711 with 19 more deaths. Pennsylvania reported a 201 decrease in total deaths to 1,421 because 270 cases added as probable deaths have been removed for now.
Florida is 536 deaths behind No. 9 California.
In all, 50,236 have died from the virus in the United States, which is an increase of 2,342, compared with 2,358 the day before. The U.S. represented 35.4 percent of the additional deaths and 26.3 percent of the world total.
Italy, which at one time was an epicenter of the virus, is second in the world but the nation gained only 1.8 percent with 464 more deaths. No. 3 Spain increased 440 fatalities for a 2.0 percent gain. China, the original epicenter, reported no new deaths Friday and is now at 4,632 in ninth place.
One week ago in the United States, there were 34,619 deaths total compared with 19,604 two weeks ago, 7,438 three weeks ago, 1,614 four weeks ago, 239 five weeks ago, 41 six weeks ago, 12 seven weeks ago and 0 eight weeks ago.
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Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 19 states and the District of Columbia. The deaths range from a 38-year-old man to a 96-year-old woman.
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 146 cases of children up to 4.
West Palm Beach leads Palm Beach County with 454 cases, followed by Boca Raton with 374, Lake Worth Beach with 335, Boynton Beach with 315 and Delray Beach with 298. Lake Worth Beach moved from fifth to third with an additional 54 cases in data listed for Lake Worth and Lake Worth Beach in the state's daily report.
The most cases on the Treasure Coast are in Port St. Lucie with 145.
Palm Beach County has 2,413 cases out of 19,822 total tested, including those awaiting results.
Miami-Dade leads with 10,289 positive cases out of 64,525 tested, and Broward is second with 4,254 cases and 36,743 tested.
On the Treasure Coast, only 14 additional cases were reported Thursday -- 7 more in St. Lucie, 4 in Martin and 3 in Indian River.
In St. Lucie, it's 220 positive out of 2,591 total tested, followed by Martin with 166 out of 1,511, Indian River with 88 out of 1,461 and Okeechobee with 9 out of 289.
A total of 4,640 people in the state have been hospitalized at one time, which is 229 more than the day before . That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died. The number is 397 in Palm Beach County, 65 in St. Lucie, 40 in Martin, 26 in Indian River and 5 in Okeechobee.