WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The number of additional deaths and cases from coronavirus in Florida as well in Palm County County, which leads the state in fatalities,, dropped significantly in one day, the Health Department announced Wednesday night.
The state death toll rose by 27 to 323 after increasing by 42 one day earlier Tuesday. In Palm Beach County there are 69 deaths, which is a rise of five from Tuesday, when the fatalities increased by 13.
All of the deaths in Palm Beach County were announced in the morning update when the statewide toll climbed by 13. In the evening update, the state total increased by 14. The deaths in the county range from a 41-year-old man to a 96-year-old woman.
The first death was reported Wednesday night in Martin County, a 77-year-old man. The only other fatalities on the Treasure Coast were the previously reported six in St. Lucie County.
Broward County is second in the state with 60 deaths, which is five more than Tuesday, and Miami Dade reached 50 on Wednesday, an increase of three.
South Florida accounts for 186 deaths, which is 57.6 percent of the state total.
The number of new deaths in the state have declined since Sunday, when an additional 51 fatalities -- a record -- were announced. On Monday, the toll rose by 33 followed by the 42 Tuesday.
The number rose 9.1 percent Wednesday compared with 16.5 percent the day before.
The deaths in the state range from a 28-year-old man in Sarasota to a 101-year-old woman in Miami Dade County.
Florida ranks 11th in the nation in total deaths -- Connecticut moved into the top 10 --13th in increase of deaths from the day before, according to final Wednesday tracking by Worldometers.info. New York leads with 6,288, including 779 additional fatalities Tuesday, which is a record for number of deaths in any state from the virus. On Tuesday, the increase was 731.
In all, 14,797 have died from the virus in the United States, which is an increase of 1,949, or 15.1 percent.
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Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 25 states and the District of Columbia.
The county's total number of confirmed cases are wide-ranging, with the youngest person being an infant girl and the oldest a 104-year-old man. In the state, there are 59 cases of children up to 4.
Boca Raton leads Palm Beach County with 227 cases, followed by West Palm Beach with 189, Boynton Beach with 173 and Delray Beach with 169. The most cases on the Treasure Coast are in Port St. Lucie with 101.
There are 15,698 cases in the state and 144,570 have been tested for a 10.7 percent positive rate. The number of cases rose by 951 for a 6.4 percent increase, which is lower than the 10.4 percent Tuesday.
Palm Beach County has 1,224 cases out of 6,729 total tested, including those awaiting results. That was an increase of just 65 cases for a 5.6 percent hike.
Miami-Dade County leads with 5,461 positive cases out of 28,871 tested, and Broward County is second with 2,365 cases and 19,832 tested.
A second COVID-19 testing site opened in Palm Beach County at the South County Civic Center on Tuesday and reopened Wednesday.
The cases and testing are significantly less on the Treasure Coast. In St. Lucie County, it's 129 of 1,542 total tested, followed by Martin County with 108 out of 948, Indian River County with 65 out of 840 and Okeechobee County with five out of 145. Indian County's cases include a 6-year-old boy.
A total of 1,893 people in the state have been hospitalized at one time, which is up from 1,893 in one day. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died. The number is 215 in Palm Beach County, 34 in St. Lucie County, 22 in Martin County, 18 in Indian River County and two in Okeechobee County.
