Florida Department of Health reports less than 4,000 new cases of coronavirus

ORLANDO, Fla. Coronavirus cases have been on a downward trend over the weekend as people prepare for their primary election votes.

On Sunday, the Florida Department of Health reported 3,779 new COVID-19 cases. Nearly 3,000 less than Saturday’s report.

The new cases bring the running total since March to 573,416 cases.

The state also announced 107 new deaths, bringing Florida’s cause of death from the virus to 9,587. That number includes 9,442 residents and 135 non-residents who died in Florida. New deaths from COVID-19 are often delayed in reporting to the state DOH and those new deaths could have occurred in the past few weeks.

The positivity rate, which represents the number of people who tested positive for the first time compared to the overall number of tests reported by the DOH for the day before was 7.71% on Saturday.

Health officials agree that the rate should be below 10% to show that cases are on the decline.

If you have trouble viewing the dashboard above on mobile, click here.

Many people who test positive for COVID-19 will have mild to no symptoms, which is why it is important to monitor hospitalizations and deaths attributed to the virus.

As of Sunday morning, there were 5,705 patients currently hospitalized with coronavirus in Florida, according to the state Agency for Healthcare Administration. The Florida Department of Health reported 267 new hospitalizations Friday, bringing the total to 33,928 since March.

Here are three things to know about coronavirus in Central Florida and about the US for Sunday:

• Voice during a pandemic: The Florida primary is just around the corner and there are a few things you need to know before you go to the polls this year. With the hurricane that has been the year 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic is consuming most of our minds today, it can be hard to believe that the elections are for us, but there are some very important seats for reelection. News 6 has compiled everything you need to know ahead of the 2020 election season. Click or tap here to learn more about the elections taking place in your province.
• Tests in Volusia County: The Volusia County Fairgrounds will conduct viral and antibody tests on Sunday. Individuals who receive antibody tests will be required, according to officials, to get a nasal swab first. Testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and to make an appointment, click or tap here.
• Fall sports begin: The board of directors of the FHSAA voted Friday to allow schools to practice for fall sports in late August. In a vote of 11-5, the FHSAA decided to hold August 24 because the first date teams can practice. However, many school districts in Central Florida will start later. Click or tap here to see when Fall sports can start in your province.

Below is a breakdown of COVID-19 cases across Central Florida since August 16:

Editor’s Editor: The numbers and details mentioned in this story are publicly available on the Florida Department of Health website here and on the AHCA dashboard here.

To keep up to date with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.