WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida broke the daily record for increased residents' deaths, 216, shattering the mark of 186 the day before, as cases remained under five digits for the fourth day in a row though they were the highest in the nation, 9,446, the Florida Department of Health announced Wednesday.
The deaths in Florida, however, were not the most in the nation Wednesday as Texas announced 313, surpassing its former mark of 197 and closing within 143 from eighth-place Florida. California reported a record 197 deaths and is in third place overall.
Around one-seventh of the reported deaths and cases in the United States were in Florida.
Palm Beach County's deaths increased by 16 after a record-tying 21 the day before for a total of 795, which is the second highest in the state.
Okeechobee reported the death of a 23-year-old male, the youngest in the state reported Wednesday and the first fatality in 11 days when the first two were announced. On the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie rose by 5 to 114, Martin went up by 5 to 73 and Indian River remained at 38. Broward reported 31 after none the day before and Miami-Dade added 30.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the toll has climbed to 6,333. Nonresidents increased by 1 to 124 with a total death count of 6,457.
Florida's deaths have hit triple digits all within the past few weeks, including 173 last Thursday, which was a record.
For two days there back-to-back 77 deaths on Sunday and Monday, which were the lowest since 35 on Monday, July 13. .
The previous day with more than 100 was Saturday's 124 after Friday's 135.
State and county increases represent deaths received by the state Tuesday and not the number of fatalities that occurred then. The day someone dies and when it is received by the state can lag for several days. So far, the date with the most deaths July 16 with 123.
No deaths were deleted from the state database compared with the past few days as officials determined the cause of death was no coronavirus. Texas, meanwhile, is now basing the total on causes of death listed on death certificates rather than data from local health districts.
Since the first two cases were announced on March 1, Florida's total has surged to 2.1 percent of the state's 21.48 million population with 451,423, second in the nation.
California is in first place with 475,806 cases, including the addition of 8,755 Wednesday, the third highest in the nation, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins. Texas passed New York into third at 417,098 with an additional 9,042, second highest in the nation. New York, which was the leader during the pandemic until two weeks ago, is a 413,593, with 785 more.
Palm Beach County increased by 86 deaths in one week. Miami-Dade climbed to 1,455, which is 111 in one week. Broward increased to 638 with a rise of 109 in one week. St. Lucie climbed by 91 from Tuesday, Martin by 42, Indian River by 45 and Okeechobee by 5.
In South Florida, there were 88 of the 217 deaths reported Monday – 40.6 percent – for a total of 3,116 at 49.2 percent though the population only comprises 30 percent. For months the percentage has been above half.
Pinellas is in fourth place with 400, a rise of 5 and Hillsborough climbed by 13 to 323. Lee has 279, with an increase of 7.
Florida has had the most cases in the nation for several days recently, including 9,230 Tuesday.
The last time there were cases more than 10,000 was Saturday's rise of 12,299.
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.
The cases record was 15,300 was July 5 – the highest daily figure ever in the United States. During the height of the pandemic New York also surpassed 11,000. The second highest is 13,965 on July 16.
Testing in Florida 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. The total now is 3,531,721, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That Florida figure is 16.4 percent of Florida's population.
The overall positive rate was a record 12.78 compared with 12.68 Tuesday.
Several weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 16.25 percent of 88,252 coronavirus or anti-bodies tests reported by labs Tuesday after 15.50 the day before with 90,217, a record 20.71 percent of 51,686 on July 8 when there were 51,686 tests. The lowest over two weeks was 13.50 percent on July 21.
The number of test was the lowest since 77,149 on July 19. The record test total was 142,964 July 11.
In Palm Beach County, the daily positive rate was the lowest in two weeks, 8.6 percent, compared with 10.9 percent the day before. It was 16.3 in Miami-Dade, the lowest in two weeks, 12.3 in Broward. Elsewhere, it is 13.1 in St. Lucie as well as 19.1 in Martin, which is the highest in 2 weeks, 9.9 in Indian River and 9.1 in Okeechobee, he first time in two weeks it was under 10. . Miami-Dade's highest was 26.4 on July 8.
The state reported 12.26 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Tuesday compared with 11.68 the day before and 15.4 two weeks ago. The lowest was 10.56 one week ago Tuesday.
With more testing and no requirements for someone to take a test, the median age is at 40, but 42 for tests reported Monday. In addition, the state mortality rate has subsided to 1.4 percent among residents but among those under 55 it is 0.14 percent.
And at one time, 25,499 have been hospitalized, which is an increase of 582 in one day, compared with 585 the day before.
Cases
In Palm Beach County, new cases were 573 compared with 630 the day before. The record was 1,171 July 5 for a total of 32,171 including residents and nonresidents.
Miami-Dade's cases increased 2,791 compared with 3,047 the day before, and Broward at 1,313 vs. 1,873. In the Treasure Coast area, the rise over one day was 87 in St. Lucie, 42 in Martin, 45 in Indian River and 5 in Okeechobee.
In one week, Palm Beach County has risen by 4,665 cases for a 17.0 percent gain. Miami-Dade has risen by 20,798 at 22.5 percent and Broward by 9,223 at 21.1 percent.
Over seven days, Martin climbed by 277 cases for 8.5 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 909 for 23.3 percent, Indian River by 389 for 22.5 percent and Okeechobee by 164 for 23.6 percent.
Deaths
Deaths rose by 988 in the state over seven days for 16.2 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 86 for 12.2 percent. Two months ago the one-week figure was in the mid 200. The U.S. figure is 4.9 percent with the world at 6.4 percent.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 21 states, including Nevada at 780 with a gain of 21 and Kentucky at 724 with 5 more Wednesday.
The state on Wednesday identified 16 deaths in Palm Beach County: eight men ranging from 35 to 85, also including a 59-year-old, and eight women from 56 to 99. St. Lucie's deaths were one 30-year-old man and four women (71, 80, 82, 89). Martin's fatalities were three women (86, 92, 98) and two men (79, 89)
Tests
Palm Beach County has 32,171 cases out of 250,023 total tested for 12.9 percent overall, 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 113,143 positive cases out of 602,089 tested for 18.8 percent, and Broward is second with 52,970 cases and 381,963 tested for 13.9 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 3,527 of 23,920 for 14.7 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 4,805 out of 38,209 for 12.6 percent, Indian River with 2,118 of 24,181 for 8.8 percent and Okeechobee with 858 out of 5,969 for 14.4 percent.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate, which compares positive cases against deaths, has been trending down in the state.
It is 1.4 percent in the state for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 3.4 percent in the United States and 3.9 percent worldwide, which passed 669,000 deaths and passed 17.1 million cases Wednesday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 2.5 percent, compared with Broward at 1.2 percent and Miami-Dade with 1.3 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 2.4 percent in St. Lucie, 2.0 percent in Martin, 1.8 percent in Indian River and 0.35 percent in Okeechobee.
Florida has 295 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 465 per million. New York, which represents 21.3 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,683 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 85.9 per million.
Age breakdown
The youngest deaths are a 9-year-old girl from Putnam as well as the two 11-year-olds, a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward, who are the only three in the 5-14 age class.
There are 17 deaths in the 15-24 class with an increase of the 23-year-old man in Okeechobee. Broward includes a 20-year-old man and 3 women 22 as well as a 16-year-old girl from Lee, a 17-year-old boy from Pasco and a 22-year-old woman from Palm Beach County.
Forty-seven people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus with an increase of 7.
A total of 2,130 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 57 in one day.
Ninety-two percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 62 percent 75 and older. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 26 percent age 55 and older and 6 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 7,462 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 160, and 140 were hospitalized, which was an increase of 4. From ages 5-14, there are 16,918, an increase of 376 with 111 in the hospital at one time, which is an increase of 6.
From the infant to 54 age group, 325,731 of the 446,251 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 470 have died, an increase of 20, for a 0.14 death percentage.
From infant to 64, there are 382,681 cases. A total of 1,066 have died, an increase of 42, for a 0.28 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 7,987, an increase of 132. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 81 to 5,795 followed by Boca Raton at 4,258 up from 4,136, Boynton Beach at 2,810 from 2,752. A total of 659 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 2,764, an increase of 53, followed by Stuart with 1,726 vs. 1,708.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, remained 353, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 25,499 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 22,243 seven days ago. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
The number is 2,548 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 32 compared with 30 the day before; 311 in Martin, an increase of 5; 309 in St. Lucie with an increase of 9, Indian River rose by 2 to 139 and Okeechobee went from 76 to 80.
Long-term care
Forty-five percent of the deaths, 2,836 are residents and staff of long-term care, including 324 in Palm Beach County. The state increase was 76 and in Palm Beach County it was an increase of 9.
National
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the toll has risen to 153,840, including an increase of 1,485, the most since 1,568 on May 28, according to Worldometers.info. Tuesday's increase was 1,330.
Johns Hopkins reports 150,649, a gain of 1,447.
Cases reached 4,568,037, with an increase of 66,921, according to Worldometers.info. They have exceeded 70,000 six times, including a record 77,978 Friday.
Last Wednesday in the U.S., there were 1,230 more deaths and 71,967 more cases reported.
The one week U.S. death increase was 7,151 at 4.9 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,733, including 14 more Wednesday, among the lowest since the outbreak, after a high of 799 in April.
Among other states in the top 10: No. 2 New Jersey with 18, No. 4 Massachusetts with 29, No. 5 Illinois 16, No. 6 Pennsylvania 22, No. 7 Michigan 1 (107 ahead of Florida), No. 10 Connecticut 5.
Other top gainers were No. 12 Georgia with 79, No. 11 Louisiana with 72, No. 21 South Carolina with 50, No. 14 Arizona with 46.
Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, dropped to 23 behind Mississippi and added 3.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 21.8 percent of the 6,826 additional deaths Monday – and 23.0 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 39,359 at 6.4 percent.
Cases increased by a record 290,133.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported a record 1,554 deaths, which was the most in the world Wednesday for a total of 90,188. The previous record was 1,492 on June 4. Brazil added a record 70,869 cases for a total of 2,555,518 – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 485 more deaths late Wednesday compared with a high of 1,092 on June 4. Mexico is in fourth place with a total of 45,351.
India added 779 deaths to rise to 35,003 in sixth place. The Asian nation also reported a record 52,249 cases for a third-place total of 1,584,384 behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths decreased from 119 to 83 for third place with 45,961. The daily high was 1,172. No. 5 Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 6 deaths, among the lowest since the pandemic. No. 7 France added 15 and No. 8 Spain reported 5.
No. 9 Peru reported no data and No. 10 Iran 196, one day after a record 235.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 828,990, including an additional 5,475. The nation gained 169 deaths for 11th place.
No. 16 Canada added 5 deaths for a total of 8,917 as well as 476 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," announced 9 deaths for a total of 5,730 in 20th and 27 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, hasn't reported a death since July 17, to remain at 255 as well as 22 more cases.
No. 25 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 105 cases Friday afetr 101 cases the day before, the most since early April.
Japan passed four digits in deaths with an additional 3 to 1,001 in 45th place as well as 940 cases, behind the record 927 on Friday.
