WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Coronavirus cases in Florida surged dramatically by a record for three days in a row, 2,581, as deaths climbed by a higher increase, 48, to 2,925, including 9 in Palm Beach County to 425, the Florida Department of Health announced Saturday morning.
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The state cases record was shattered with 30 percent of them in Miami-Dade, 761, and second in the nation behind California with 3,135. On Friday, the state increase was 1,902 after 1,698 Thursday and 1,371 Wednesday. Positive confirmed cases increased to a total of 73,552 of state residents and nonresidents as testing has ramped up and the state has eased restrictions.
The increase was the 10th in 11 days of more than 1,000, including the previous record 1,492 last week. In one week, cases have risen 10,794, a 17.2 percent increase. Residents' cases have risen by at least 1,000 for 11 days in a row with an increase of 2,372 Saturday and 71,589 total.
In Palm Beach County, they went up 232, one day after a record 322. The rise was 1,368 over one week at 19.3 percent.
The Treasure Coast area reported 136 more cases – 78 in Martin, 37 in St. Lucie, 13 in Indian River and 8 in Okeechobee. The total rise was 116 Friday.
Over seven days, St. Lucie County rose by 223 for 36.7 percent, Martin County by 285 for 33.6 percent, Indian River County by 37 for 23.0 percent and Okeechobee County by 41 for 26.4 percent.
Miami-Dade has risen 2,334 in one week for 12.1 percent for the week. Broward increased by 175 in one day and 1,174 for 15.3 percent.
The 48 increased deaths in the state were two less more than in New York, which counts probable fatalities, and is No. 1 in the nation with 30,869. Including nonresidents, Florida's death toll is 3,016.
On Friday, resident deaths in the state rose by 29 after 47 Thursday and in Palm Beach County by 9 after 10 Thursday. Last Saturday the state rise was 28 and 3 in the county. The state record is 83 on Tuesday, April 28. Twice, the increase was 72 -- once in April and once last month. In Palm Beach County the record is 17 twice.
In the Treasure Coast area, three additional deaths were reported. St. Lucie County increased by 2 to 35 -- a 69-year-old man and an 88-year-old woman, and Martin rose to 18 with the listing of a 58-year-old woman after a total of 10 one week ago. Remaining the same were Indian River at 11 and Okeechobee with none.
Over seven days, state deaths increased by 237 for 8.8 percent and by 46 for 11.1 percent in Palm Beach County. Those numbers are much higher than in the United States and the world over the past week.
Miami-Dade County has the most deaths in the state, rising by 13 to 822. Broward increased by 7 to 357, which is 48 behind Palm Beach County. Lee is in fourth place with 131, increase of 3.
Thirty-two of the 48 additional deaths are linked to South Florida, which accounts for 1,678 deaths for 57.4 percent of the state total though the population comprises 30 percent.
The state positive test rate increased to 5.4 percent from 5.3 with the rate more than 10 percent for several weeks. The most recent positive daily rate was 7.5 percent compared with 6.5 percent the day before.
In all, there were 34,506 tests compared with 29,167 additional tests the day before. Total tests reached 1,371,401 with 1,296,861 negative results and the remaining 988 inconclusive or not reported.
The mortality rate involving positive cases is 4.0 percent in the state compared with 5.5 percent in the United States and 5.5 percent worldwide, which neared 432,000 deaths and passed 7.8 million cases Saturday. Palm Beach County's rate was 5.0 percent, compared with Broward at 4.0 percent and Miami-Dade with 3.9 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 4.2 percent in St. Lucie, 5.6 percent in Indian River and 1.6 percent in Martin.
The youngest victim in the state is a 23-year-old woman from Miami-Dade County. A total of 17 people from 25 to 34 have died from the virus, including the addition of a 27-year-old man from Polk on Thursday. The oldest are two 104-year-old women, including one from Sarasota on Saturday and the previous from Hillsborough. A total of 1,043 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus.
Ninety-five percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 64 percent 75 and older. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 37 percent 55 and older and 12 percent 75 and older. At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 774 cases of infants to 4 years old and 1,787 from 5 to 14.
In Palm Beach County, the youngest is a woman 30 and the oldest are two 102-year-old females, including one reported Thursday. A 101-year-old woman also was reported Thursday. Among the nine fatalities listed as verified Saturday were six man and three women, ranging from 46 to 96, with the extreme men.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 18 states, including Delaware with 419.
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 1,787, an increase of 49. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose from 1,716 to 1,783. Boca Raton has 774, a rise of 19, followed by Delray Beach with 616 vs. 605, Boynton Beach with 822 vs. 799 and Belle Glade with 487, a rise of 2. Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 556, an increase of 21.
In Indian River, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, has increased from 18 to 22 in one day from 3 on May 25.
Palm Beach County has 8,442 cases out of 103,103 total tested for 8.2 percent, not including those awaiting tests and inconclusive. Anything above 10.0 percent is considered out of "target range" by the health department.
Miami-Dade leads with 21,633 positive cases out of 230,221 tested for 9.4 percent, and Broward is second with 8,864 cases and 140,103 tested for 6.3 percentage.
In St. Lucie, it's 830 positive out of 16,545 for 5.0 percent, Martin with 1,134 of 12,327 for 9.2 percent, Indian River with 197 out of 8,474 for 2.3 percent and Okeechobee with 166 out of 2,310 for 7.2 percent.
An infant has tested positive in every South Florida county.
A total of 11,874, people in the state have been hospitalized at one time, which is 168 more than the day before. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died. Including nonresidents, the number is 1,422 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 10, followed by 133 total in St. Lucie, which is an increase of 3; 116 in Martin, an increase of 3; the same 37 in Indian River and 18 in Okeechobee, which was an increase of 2.
More than half of the deaths, 1,540, are residents and staff of long-term care, including 184 in Palm Beach County.
Florida, which is third-most-populous state, is 11th in the nation for total deaths behind Maryland, which has reported 1 more death than Florida, including 26 Saturday, according to Worldometers.info.
Florida has 136 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 355 per million. New York, which represents 27 percent of the deaths in the nation, has 1,587 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 55.4 per million.
National data
Worldometers lists the death toll at 117,527 with 702 fatalities Saturday -- the fourth day in a row of deaths under 1,000 after 791 Friday, 904 Thursday, 982 Wednesday. Johns Hopkins reports 115,402 deaths.
Cases hit 2,142,224 with 25,302 additional ones. Last Saturday, there were 706 additional deaths and 22,836 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase is 5.3 percent with a gain of 5,431.
New Jersey reported the most additional deaths in the nation, 95, for second with 12,696 total and behind New York, which added 50.
The others were No. 3 Massachusetts with 38, No. 4 Illinois with 29, No. 5 Pennsylvania with 31, No. 6 Michigan with 23, No. 7 California with 74, No. 8 Connecticut with 27 No. 9 Louisiana with 7.
Georgia is in 13th with an increase of 28. Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 19th with an increase of 9.
One week ago Saturday in the United States, there were 112,096, two weeks ago there were 105,793, three weeks ago there were 98,904, four weeks ago 90,324, five weeks ago 80,232, six weeks ago 67,616, seven weeks ago 54,396, eight weeks ago 39,429, nine weeks ago 24,121, 10 weeks ago 10,406, 11 weeks ago 2,758, 12 weeks ago 374, 13 weeks ago 58`,12 weeks ago 19, 15 weeks ago 1.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 17.4 percent of the 4,039 additional deaths – a percentage that has been declining – and 27.2 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The death toll Friday was 4,603.
The one week world death increase is 7.5 percent with a gain of 30,030.
Two Latin American nations, Brazil and Mexico, have had skyrocketing deaths and cases.
Brazil, which moved past United Kingdom into second place behind the United States on Friday, has 42,791, including 890 Saturday -- the most in the world -- after 843 Friday. The record is 1,492 last week. One week ago, the total was 35,957 and 28,834 two weeks ago. Brazil also reported 20,894 new cases, three days after a record 33,100. The South American nation is in second place behind the United States with 850,796.
Mexico reported 424 more deaths late Saturday after 504 Friday as well as 3,494 cases. The nation's deaths have risen from 9,779 to 16,872 in two weeks into seventh place.
The six European nations in the top 10 reported 491additional deaths after 308 Friday. They were United Kingdom with 181, No. 4 Italy with 78, No. 5 France with 24, No. 6 Spain with 0, No. 8 Belgium with 4 and No. 10 Germany with 4.
The daily rate was as high as 1,494 in France, 1,172 in Britain, 919 in Italy, 961 in Spain. Italy was the epicenter of the world at one time.
Like Brazil and Mexico, the deaths and cases have been surging in India, reporting 309 more deaths after 389 Friday for ninth place. India has risen from 5,185 to 9,199 deaths in two weeks. The Asian nation reported 12,023 additional cases, which was the third most in the world behind the U.S. and Brazil, and a total of 321,626.
Canada reported 58 more deaths in 12th place.
No. 13 Russia reported 114 additional deaths and 8,706 cases for third overall behind the United States and Brazil.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity," reported 20 more deaths with 4,874 for 16th place as well as 180 new cases. Neighboring Norway reported no deaths for the third day in a row to stay at 242 as well as 8 more cases.
China, the original epicenter of the world but now in 18th place, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 57 cases Sunday, the highest since 89 on April 13.
