STATE – After record numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths this week, figures released statewide were lower on Friday.
The Florida Department of Health reported 11,466 new cases of coronavirus in Florida on Friday, with an announcement of 128 new deaths statewide.
Those new deaths include 12 in central Florida and six in the Tampa Bay area.
The 128 deaths statewide were lower than the one-day record total of 156 deaths reported Thursday.
Here are the daily Friday cases by county for the Central Florida and Tampa Bay areas, according to the health department:
Central Florida:
- Orange County: 750 cases, 1 death
- Osceola County: 286 cases, 1 death
- Polk County: 274 cases, 3 deaths
- Volusia County: 196 cases, 0 deaths
- Seminole County: 188 cases, 2 deaths
- Lake County: 130 cases, 2 deaths
- Marion County: 99 cases, 1 death
- Brevard County: 141 cases, 2 deaths
- Sumter County: 13 cases, 0 deaths
- Flagler County: 25 cases, 0 deaths
Tampa Bay:
- Hillsborough County: 940 cases, 1 death
- Manatee County: 219 cases, 0 deaths
- Pinellas County: 359 cases, 5 deaths
- Polk County: 274 cases, 3 deaths
- Pasco County: 169 deaths, 0 deaths
- Citrus County: 34 cases, 0 deaths
- Hernando County: 59 cases, 0 deaths
Friday’s figures come from a one-day total of 103,929 tests conducted statewide. Florida recorded 366 hospitalizations and now has an overall test positivity rate of 11.35 percent.
Friday’s number of coronavirus deaths brings Florida’s total during the pandemic to 4,805, the health department reported.
Dr. Steven Merta, medical director of Memorial Hospital in Tampa, said his facility is not yet full. But he is preparing for an increase in patients in the coming weeks.
“I really don’t see a lot of behavioral changes,” said Merta. “When you are in healthcare and understand virology and safety precautions, and then you see people who choose not to follow these guidelines, it is troubling. I wish we could get more people to understand and not have this arrogant attitude on the masks and social distancing “.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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