WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A 4-year-old girl has died from coronavirus, the youngest in the state and the first death of a child since September, the Florida Health Department confirmed Friday afternoon.
The child was from Hardee County, where a total of 31 people have died and 2,813 cases, including
79 in the 1-4 age class and another 254 from 5-14. The county has a population of 26,937. The county seat is Waucula, which is 136 miles northwest of West Palm Beach.
"The recent pediatric death was a 4-year-old from Hardee County," Nina Levine, press secretary for the state department, wrote in an email to WPTV. "The Department is unable to provide further information regarding epidemiological investigations."
The state reports listed one hospitalization for 0-4 but it wasn't known if the girl who died was hospitalized.
Since Sept. 26, a child up to 17 hadn't died from the virus with 10 in all previously listed.
The previous youngest was 6-year-old girl from Hillsborough, which was among 2 in the 5-10 age class. There are 3 in the 11-13 class and 4 from 14-17.
No deaths are listed of those younger than 1.
The youngest children to die in South Florida are two 11-year-olds: a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward.
On the 365th day of reported fatalities since the pandemic in Florida, the toll of residents is 31,522 and including residents it is 32,093.
