WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Coronavirus cases in Florida spiked, rising by 9,989, the second highest in the nation, as deaths rose by 47 compared with 63 the day before, and the positive cases daily rate was more than 17 percent, the Florida Department of Health announced Wednesday.
Palm Beach County's death toll increased by 6 to 569, compared with a record increase of 20 on Tuesday. The previous record was 17 new deaths in one day.
Cases increased by 9,989 – failing to reach five digits for the fourth time.
After a three-day holiday weekend, cases 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 233,783, which is more than 1 percent of the state's population and fourth in the nation behind New York with 424,247, California with 295,115 and Texas with 228,357.
In one week, Florida's cases have risen by 67,495 for an increase of 43.2 percent.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the toll has climbed to 3,889, which is ninth in the nation. The number of nonresident deaths remained at 102 for a total death count of 3,991.
Last Wednesday, the deaths rose by 45. The record is 83 on April 28, with 72 deaths reached twice.
On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie County rose by 5 to 59 and Martin County by 3 to 34 as Indian River remained at 17. Okeechobee has none.
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 2,322,389, fourth in the nation. That figure is more than 10 percent of Florida's population of 21.4 million.
There were 75,865 tests from labs on Tuesday for confirmed coronavirus or anti-bodies. The total the day before was 48,508 and two days ago 44,621.
Likewise the positive rate has zoomed up. A few weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 17.30 of results reported by labs Tuesday. The overall percentage climbed to 9.6 percent from 9.4 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, including the same age for tests reported Tuesday. In addition, the state mortality rate has subsided to 1.7 percent but among those under 54 it is less than 0.4 percent.
And at one time, 16,758 have been hospitalized, which is an increase of 333 in one day.
Palm Beach County is second in the state for deaths, rising by 52 in one week. Miami-Dade climbed to 1,068, a rise of 11 in one day and 68 in one week. Broward increased by 1 to 419 and 34 over 7 days. Lee is in fourth place with 171.
Twenty-six of the 48 deaths reported Wednesday were in South Florida for a total of 2,188, or 56,3 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent.
In Palm Beach County, new cases were 593, compared with 396 Tuesday and a record 825 Saturday for a total of 18,231, including residents and nonresidents. The previous record was 658 one week ago Friday.
Miami-Dade's cases increased 2,916, compared with 1,066 the day before, and Broward at 1,186 vs. 739. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise was 88 in St. Lucie, 42 in Martin, 23 in Indian River and 1 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 Wednesday were second behind California with 11,694 though many were from a backlog of cases in Los Angeles County. Texas was 10 behind Florida with 9,979.
Palm Beach County has risen by 3,784 cases in one week for a 26.2 percent gain. Miami Dade has risen by 16,013 at 42.3 percent and Broward by 7,626 at 47.2 percent.
Over seven days, Martin County climbed by 391 cases for 18.5 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 621 for 34.2 percent, Indian River County by 253 for 34.2 percent and Okeechobee County by 69 for 18.0 percent.
Deaths
Deaths rose by 339 in the state over seven days for 9.5 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 57 for 11.1 percent. The U.S. figures are 3.1 percent with the world at 6.4 percent.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 20 states, including Nevada at 553, including 5 more Wednesday.
The state on Wednesday identified 6 deaths in Palm Beach County with 3 men and 3 women, ranging from a 35-year-old man to an 89-year-old man.
In Martin county, they are two men, 53 and 57, and a 55-year-old woman. Six were listed in St. Lucie: three men and three women, ranging from a 53-year-old man to a 96-year-old woman.
Testing
The positive rate for tests received Tuesday was 17.30 percent compared with a record 1`9.28 the day before and 10.32 two weeks ago when there were 57,963tests.
The state reported 14.15 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive, compared with 16.21 the day before. Two weeks ago, the percentage was 9.06.
Palm Beach County has 18,231 cases out of 167,455 total tested for 10.9 percent, 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 53,974 positive cases out of 383,093 tested for 14.1 percent, and Broward is second with 23,781 cases and 240,030 tested for 9.9 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 2,503 of 18,770 for 13.3 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 2,433 positive out of 26,088 for 9.3 percent, Indian River with 992 out of 16,689 for 5.9 percent and Okeechobee with 452 out of 4,214 for 10.7 percent.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate, which compares positive cases against deaths, has been trending down in the state.
It is 1.7 percent in the state compared with 4.3 percent in the United States and 4.5 percent worldwide, which passed 551,000 deaths and passed 12.1 million cases Wednesday.
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 181 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 407 per million. New York, which represents one-quarter of the deaths in the nation, has 1,661 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 70.7 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. There are eight in the 15-24 class with the latest listed Wednesday as a 24-year-old woman from Escambia. Others are in Broward, a 20-year-old male and a 22-year-old female, a 16-year-old girl from Lee County, a 17-year-old boy from Pasco County, a 22-year-old woman from Palm Beach County, a 23-year-old woman from Miami-Dade County and a 22-year-old man from Pinellas. Twenty-two 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 1,370 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 21 in one day.
Ninety-four percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 64 percent 75 and older – figures that have stayed consistent through the pandemic. 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 3,538, cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 182, and 78 were hospitalized, which is an increase of 4 in one day. In all, there were 1,007 cases of children under 1. From ages 5-14, there are 7,326, an increase of 416 with 62 in the hospital at one time, a rise of 1.
From the infant to 54 age group, 154,850 of the 220,492 residents have tested positive.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 4,308, an increase of 145. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 95 to 3,444, followed by Boynton Beach at 1,598 from 1,548, Boca Raton at 2,068, up from 1,949, Delray Beach at 1,179 from 1,130. A total of 357 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 1,549, an increase of 54, followed by Stuart with 1,234 vs. 1,209.
In Indian River, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 2 to 219, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 16,758 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 14,825 last Wednesday. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 2,070 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 24 compared with 25 the day before; 213 in Martin, an increase of 5; 214 in St. Lucie with an increase of 8, Indian River rose by 7 to 76 and Okeechobee increased to 47 from 43.
Long-term care
More than half of the deaths, 1,994, are residents and staff of long-term care, including 240 in Palm Beach County. The state increase was 14.
National
Florida, which is the third-most-populous state, is in ninth place, 545 ahead of Louisiana, which reported 19 deaths Wednesday, according to Worldometers.info.
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 134,862, including an increase of 890 Wednesday after 994 Tuesday.
The last time deaths were more than 1,000 was June 9 with 1,105. Johns Hopkins reports 132,256.
Cases reached 3,158,932 with an increase of a record 61,848. The previous record was 58,911 set Friday.
Last Wednesday, there were 676 more deaths and 52,358 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 4,101.
California reported the most deaths, 150, and is in sixth place. Texas, which passed Georgia into 14th place, followed with 121.
Among other states in the top 10: No. 1 New York with 19, No. 2 New Jersey had 64, No. 3 Massachusetts 30, No. 4 Illinois 36, No. 5 Pennsylvania 32, No. 7 Michigan 11 and No. 8 Connecticut 5.
No. 14 Georgia added 21 and Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 21th place, with an increase of 10.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 16.1 percent of the 5,518 additional deaths Wednesday –and 24.5 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 33,072.
The additional death toll last Wednesday was 5,504.
Cases increased by a record 213,280. The previous mark was 208,087 on Thursday.
Deaths and cases have been surging in Brazil, Mexico and India, which are in the top 10.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 1,187 deaths, which was the most in the world, after 1,312 Tuesday for a total of 68,055. The record is 1,492 on June 4. Brazil added 41,541 cases after a record 55,209 one week ago Friday. The South American nation has a total of 1,716,196 cases – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 782 more deaths late Wednesday compared with 895 the day before and high of 1,092 on June 4, for fifth place with 32,796. In addition, there were 6,995 cases, less than the record 6,914 Saturday.
India added 491 deaths after 479 Tuesday to rise to 21,144 in eighth place. The Asian nation also reported a record 25,571 cases, surpassing the one Saturday of 24,015 for a third-place total of 769,052 behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased from 155 to 126 for third place with 44,517, 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 15 deaths.
No. 6 France added 32 and No. 7 Spain 4.
Also in the top 10, No. 9 Iran reported 153 deaths after a record 200 the day before and No. 10 Peru had 181.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 700,792, including an additional 6,562. The nation gained 173 deaths for 11th place.
No. 14 Canada added 26 deaths for a total of 8,737.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity, reported 12 deaths for a total of 5,482 in 17th and 302 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, reported no deaths for the eight day in a row to remain at 251 and 3 more cases.
China, the original epicenter of the world but now in 21st place, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 9 cases Thursday.