WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The coronavirus death toll in Florida climbed dramatically, rising by 17 to 173 in Palm Beach County and by a record 83 to 1,117 in the state, the Florida Department of Health announced Tuesday morning.
State deaths increased by 7.6 percent, compared with 1.3 percent Monday when the fatalities rose by 14. On Sunday, 19 additional deaths were reported after 9 on Saturday, the first time the state went to reporting data once a day instead of twice. The previous daily record was 72 on April 14.
The number of new cases increased in one day from 610 to 708 at 32,846 for a 2.2 percent increase. Last Thursday, 1,072 cases were reported. In Palm Beach County, the cases increased by 114.
Some good news from the state Tuesday: a drop in the percentage of positive cases. A total of 368,651 have been tested in the state with 324,325334,029 negative results for 8.9 percent compared with more than 10 percent one week ago. On Monday, the rate was 9.0 percent.
Two massive testing sites are located in Palm Beach County: the South County Civic Center and FITTEAM Ballpark in West Palm Beach. In addition, a test site has opened in Belle Glade as well as in Fort Pierce. Walkup sites are planned in West Palm Beach and Jupiter. Other big testing sites at located at Marlins Park and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami-Dade County.
Miami-Dade County has the most deaths in the state, increasing by 22 to 324 in one day. Broward County rose to 179 with an increase of 5 for second place.
Forty-seven of the additional 83 deaths are linked to South Florida, including two fatalities in St. Lucie, rising to 22 -- a 90-year-old man and a 96-year-old woman -- and one in Indian River to 6, a 93-year-old man. Martin remained at 5 and Okeechobee has yet to report a death. The 17 new deaths in Palm Beach County are 10 women (62, 67, 72, 80, 83, 85, 90, 91, 92, 97) and seven men (46, 77, 77, 83, 83, 84, 96). In all, 72 women and 101 men from the county have died.
South Florida accounts for 709 deaths, which is 60.0 percent of the state total though the population comprises 30 percent. The county with the fourth most deaths is Manatee with 46.
The mortality rate involving positive cases is 3.6 percent in the state compared with 5.7 percent in the United States and 6.9 percent worldwide, which passed 212,000 deaths Tuesday. In Palm Beach County the rate is 6.0 percent compared with 3.7 percent in Broward and 2.7 percent in Miami-Dade. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 9.2 percent in St. Lucie, 6.7 percent in Indian River and 2.7 percent in Martin.
The deaths in the state range from a 26-year-old man in Miami-Dade to a pair of 101-year-old women in Miami-Dade and Collier. Ninety-two percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 60 percent 75 and older.
Florida ranks 10th in the nation in total deaths and eight in increase in deaths, according to Tuesday tracking by Worldometers.info. Florida is 630 behind No. 9 Louisiana. Georgia, which has opened nonessential businesses, is in 11th place with 994, an increase of 31 deaths after 78 more Monday.
New York leads with 23,144 deaths, including 521 more after 348 additional Monday.
Neighboring New Jersey reported 398 deaths -- the second most in the nation -- to remain in second place at 6,442. Every other state was 200 or less. No. 3 Michigan announced 160 more, No. 4 Massachusetts 150, No. 5 Illinois 142, No. 6 Connecticut 77, No. 7 Pennsylvania 200. Washington, the original epicenter in the United States had dropped to 15th in the nation with 786 deaths, an addition of 21.
Through Tuesday, 59,266 have died from the virus in the United States with 2,470 reported Tuesday after 1,384 Monday and 1,157 Sunday.
The U.S. represented about 38.8 percent of the additional deaths and 27.2 percent of the world total.
Italy, which at one time was an epicenter of the virus, is second in the world in deaths but the nation gained only 382 more deaths Tuesday after a high of 919 on March 27. No. 3 Spain increased 301 fatalities after a high of 961 on April 2. China, the original epicenter, reported only 22 new cases and zero new deaths Wednesday and is now in 10th place. Brazil climbed one spot into ninth place with 520 more deaths -- shattering the nation's previous record of 407 -- and third behind No. 5 Britain with 586.
One week ago Tuesday in the United States, there were 45,536, two weeks ago there were 30,081, three weeks ago 15,526, four weeks ago 5,151, five weeks ago 957, six weeks ago 121, seven weeks ago 50, eight weeks ago 9, nine weeks ago 0.
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Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 18 states and the District of Columbia. The deaths range from a 38-year-old man to a 96-year-old woman.
The county's total number of confirmed cases are wide-ranging, with the youngest person being an infant girl and boy and the oldest a 104-year-old man. In the state, there are 146 cases of children up to 4.
West Palm Beach leads Palm Beach County with 539 cases, followed by Boca Raton with 434, Lake Worth Beach with 406, Boynton Beach with 368 and Delray Beach with 333. The most cases on the Treasure Coast are in Port St. Lucie with 165.
Palm Beach County has 2,877 cases out of 26,928 total tested, including 52 awaiting results, for a 10.7 percent
Miami-Dade leads with 11,831 positive cases out of 81,924 tested for 14.4 percent, and Broward is second with 4,847 cases and 44,732 tested for a 10.8 percentage.
On the Treasure Coast, 5 additional cases were reported Monday -- 3 more in St. Lucie and 2 more in Martin.
In St. Lucie, it's 239 positive out of 3,083 total tested for 7.8 percent, followed by Martin with 185 out of 1,750 for 10.6 percent, Indian River with 90 out of 1,751 for 5.1 percent and Okeechobee with 10 out of 360 for 2.8 percent.
A total of 5,222 people in the state have been hospitalized at one time, which is 212 more than the day before. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died. The number is 423 in Palm Beach County, 68 in St. Lucie, 40 in Martin, 26 in Indian River and 5 in Okeechobee.
State hospital bed capacity, including in intensive care units, is at 40 percent, which is less than before the pandemic.
