WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Coronavirus cases continue to surge in Florida with a daily increase of 5,004, which is 507 less than the record one day earlier, as deaths rose by 46 to 3,327 – changes that both ranked third in the nation, the Florida Department of Health announced Thursday.
In Palm Beach County, deaths rose by 4 and cases increased by 304, less than Wednesday's total of 356 and the record of 391 set more than one week ago.
Testing has ramped up in Florida, including massive sites throughout Florida as well as nursing homes, jails and farm workers, and the state has eased restrictions as the median age has dropped to 43. Through Wednesday night, labs reported 59,202 tests compared with 36,332 the day before.
The state reported 8.72 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive. Two weeks ago, the percentage was 4.95. Of all results reported by labs Wednesday, the positive rate was 10.02 percent compared with 6.63 percent among 32,271 tests two week ago. On Wednesday, the state reported 29,642 tests.
The overall positive rate is 6.6 percent, which is up one-tenth of 1 percent, compared with 5.6 percent one week ago and 10 percent several weeks ago.
The total tests conducted were 1,721,812, including 1,606,626 negative ones. On Wednesday, the dashboard listed the total as 1,669,440, or a difference of 52,372.
Cases have risen significantly recently. The record was 5,511 Wednesday and Tuesday's total increase was 3,286. The previous record was 4,049 set Saturday. Earlier increases were a previous mark of 3,822 Friday after a 3,207 record Thursday. In addition, there was a record 2,783 one week ago Tuesday.
Until recently, the increased cases daily were often under 1,000.
For 13 of the 14 days, more than 2,000 cases have been reported, with the only exception 1,758 one week ago Monday.
The cases increase was behind Texas' 5,960 and California's 5,440.
Total cases in Florida have climbed to 114,018 since the first two were announced on March `1.
The one-week increase was 28,092, for 33.9 percent. South Florida had 1,673 new cases, which is 33.5 percent of state total, including 885 in Miami-Dade County and 367 in Broward County. In the Treasure Coast area, there were 120 more cases – 22 in Indian River, 51 in St. Lucie, 34 in Martin and 13 in Okeechobee.
Palm Beach County has risen by 1,849 cases in one week for a 15.8 percent gain compared with Broward with 2,473 for 24.5 percent and Miami-Dade for 4,810 at 20.2 percent. Over seven days, Martin County climbed by 349 cases for 26.3 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 327 for 30.9 percent, Indian River County by 195 for 68.7 percent and Okeechobee County by 89 for 44.5 percent.
Palm Beach County's record of 391 was set one week ago Sunday. Palm Beach County's total is 11,702, third behind Broward with 12,303. Miami-Dade is in first place with 28,165 cases.
The mortality rate involving positive cases is 2.9 percent in the state compared with 5.1percent in the United States and 5.1 percent worldwide, which neared 491,000 deaths and neared 9.7 million cases Thursday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 4.1 percent, compared with Broward at 3.0 percent and Miami-Dade with 3.3 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 3.3 percent in St. Lucie, 3.3 percent in Indian River and 1.4 percent in Martin.
The 46 additional deaths, which were 2 more than Wednesday, were third behind California, which reported 80, and Georgia, which added 47. Texas was fourth behind Florida with 41.
The total number of deaths in the state including nonresidents is 3,422, a rise of 45, a figure that state doesn't include on its dashboard or daily report.
Miami-Dade rose by 9 deaths to lead the state with 935. Broward increased by 1 to 379. St. Lucie rose by 2 to 45 – men 63 and 64 – as Martin increased by 1 to 23 with the death of a 95-year-old man, Indian River also by 1 to 16 with the death of an 87-year-old woman and Okeechobee none. In fourth place is Lee County with 149, an increase of 1.
Palm Beach County has been second in the state for deaths behind Miami-Dade.
The state deaths rose by 44 Wednesday after 60 Tuesday, 12 Monday, 17 Sunday and 40 on Saturday. Last Thursday, the state increase was 43.
The state record for increase is 83 on Tuesday, April 28. Twice, the increase was 72 – once in April and once last month. In Palm Beach County the record is 17 twice.
Eighteen of the 46 deaths were in South Florida for a total of 1,908, of 57.4 percent, though the population only comprises 30 percent of the state total.
Deaths rose by 220 in the state over seven days for 7.2 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 36 for 8.0 percent. The U.S. figure is 3.5 percent with the world at 7.1 percent.
A 17-year-old boy from Pasco County, who was counted as a confirmed case Friday, is now the youngest person to die from the coronavirus, joining two women in the 15-24 age class from Palm Beach County (22) and Miami-Dade County (23). Nineteen people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus.
The oldest is a 108-year-old women from Miami-Dade reported Wednesday, surpassing two women who were 104 from Sarasota and Hillsborough. A total of 1,185 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus.
Ninety-four percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 64 percent 75 and older. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 31 percent age 55 and older – compared with 40 percent two weeks ago – and 1`0 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 1,565 cases of infants to 4 years old and 56 were hospitalized. From ages 5-14, there are 3,266, with 51 in the hospital at one time.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 18 states, including Oklahoma at 375. Nevada has 495.
Palm Beach County had 6 deaths identified Thursday – 4 women and 2 men ranging from 36 to 96.
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 2,708, an increase of 86. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose from 2,438 to 2,495 followed by Boynton Beach at 1,096 from 1,063, Boca Raton at 1,135, up from 1,095, Delray Beach at 780 from 767. Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 883, an increase of 32, followed with Stuart with 761 vs. 740.
In Indian River, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 13 to 122, compared to only 3 on May 31.
The state doesn't list total deaths by city.
Palm Beach County has 11,840 cases out of 129,929 total tested for 9.1 percent, not including those awaiting tests and inconclusive. Anything above 10.0 percent is considered out of "target range" by the health department.
Miami-Dade leads with 28,654 positive cases out of 276,506 tested for 10.4 percent, and Broward is second with 12,584 cases and 177,399 tested for 7.1 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 1,673 of 15,238 for 11.0 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 1,384 positive out of 20,719 for 6.7 percent, Indian River with 479 out of 12,349 for 3.9 percent and Okeechobee with 289 out of 3,151 for 9.2 percent.
An infant has tested positive in every South Florida county.
A total of 13,775 people in the state have been hospitalized at one time, which is 201 more than the day before and a rise from 12,577 last Thursday. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
Including nonresidents in Palm Beach County, the number is 1,670 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 24, St. Lucie increased by 1 to 156, followed by Martin with 157, which is an increase of 2, Indian River with 54, a rise of 3, and 26 in Okeechobee, with an increase of 2.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has said there is sufficient hospital bed capacity in the state, including intensive care units. In addition, hospitals can turn regular beds into ones for intensive car.
More than half of the deaths, 1,748, are residents and staff of long-term care, including 207 in Palm Beach County. The state increase was 24 and Palm Beach County incresed by 1.
Florida, which is the third-most-populous state, is in ninth place, 155 ahead of Louisiana, which added 12, according to Worldometers.info.
Florida has 155 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 383 per million. New York, which represents one-quarter of the deaths in the nation, has 1,613 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 62.3 per million.
National data
Worldometers lists the death toll at 126,780 with 649 additional deaths Thursday after 808 Wednesday. There have been 15 days in a row of deaths under 1,000. Johns Hopkins reports 124,410.
Cases hit 2,504,588 with a record 40,181 additional ones after a previous record 39,101 Wednesday.
Last Thursday, there were 752 more deaths and 27,929 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 4,224.
Other 10 daily increases were: No. 1 New York with 27, No. 2 New Jersey with 33, No. 3 Massachusetts with 25, No. 4 Illinois with 40, No. 5 Pennsylvania with 32, No. 6 Michigan with 19, No. 8 Connecticut with 11.
New Jersey on Thursday added 1,854 probable deaths since the pandemic.
Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 21th place, with an increase of 10.
One week ago Thursday in the United States 120,688, two weeks ago there were 116,034, three weeks ago there were 1110,415, four weeks ago there were 103,563, five weeks ago 96,5695, six weeks ago 87,500, seven weeks ago 77,114, eight weeks ago 64,018, nine weeks ago 50,361, 10 weeks ago 34,994, 11 weeks ago 19,847, 12 weeks ago 7,592, 13 weeks ago 1,616, 14 weeks ago 239, 15 weeks ago 41, 16 weeks ago 12, 17 weeks ago 0.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 12.5 percent of the 5,178 additional deaths – a figure that has been declining – and 25.8 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 32,462. The additional death toll Wednesday was 5,076.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 1,180 deaths after 1,3103 deaths Wednesday. The record is 1,492 on June 4. The total is 55,054 compared with 41,058 two weeks ago. Brazil added 40,673 cases – the most in the world behind the U.S. – after a record 55,209 Friday. The South American nation has a total of 1,233,147 – almost half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 736 more deaths late Thursday compared with 947 Wednesday as well as 6,104 cases. The record was 1,092 on June 4. The nation's deaths have risen from 15,944 to 25,060 in two weeks into seventh place.
India reported 401 deaths after 424 Wednesday to rise to 15,308 in eighth place, compared 8,501 two weeks ago. The Asian nation also reported a record 18,185 cases.
Five European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased from 280 to 149 deaths for third place with 43,230 – 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 34 – among the lowest since the pandemic.
No. 4 Spain added 3 deaths and No. 5 France climbed by 21 after 11 Wednesday and a high of 1,494. No. 10 Belgium announced 4 deaths. No. 11 Germany, which was displaced from the top 10 earlier last week by Iran, added 9. No. 9 Iran reported 134 deaths.
Russia is in third place in the world in cases with 613,994, including an additional 7,113 behind the United States and Brazil. The nation added 92 more deaths in 13th place.
No. 14 Canada added 20.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity, reported 21 deaths for a total of 5,230 in 16th. Neighboring Norway didn't report any data and previously was 249 deaths and 16 more cases.
China, the original epicenter of the world but now in 18th place, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 13 cases Friday. The 57 cases one week ago Sunday were the highest since 89 on April 13.