WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida reported 5,511 cases in one day, shattering the record for most in a day by 1,462, as deaths rose by 44 to 3,281, the Florida Department of Health announced Wednesday.
In Palm Beach County, deaths rose by 6 and cases increased by 356, which is below the record of 391 set more than one week ago.
Testing has ramped up in the state, including massive sites throughout Florida as well as nursing homes, jails and farm workers, and the state has eased restrictions. There has been a dramatic decline in the median age, which is now 43 overall.
The state reported 15.91 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive. Two weeks ago, the percentage was 5.54. Of all results reported by labs Tuesday, the positive rate was 18.43 percent of the 36,339 tests compared with 7.31 percent among 31,415 tests two week ago.
The overall positive rate is 6.5 percent, which is up one-tenth of 1 percent, compared with 5.3 percent one week ago and 10 percent several weeks ago.
The total tests conducted were 1,669,440, including 1,559,328 negative ones. On Tuesday, the dashboard listed the total as 1,641,838, or a difference of 27,602.
The state cases reported Wednesday were 2,225 more than Tuesday's total of 3,286. The record was 4,049 set Saturday. Earlier increases were a previous mark of 3,822 Friday after a 3,207 record Thursday. In addition, there was a record 2,783 one week ago Tuesday.
The new deaths were third in the nation behind California's 7,149 and Texas' 6,177.
Until recently, the increased cases daily were often under 1,000.
For 12 of the 13 days, more than 2,000 cases have been reported, with the only exception 1,758 one week ago Monday.
Cases have climbed to 109,014 since the first two were announced on March `1.
The one-week increase was 26,295, for 31.8 percent.
South Florida had 1,951 new cases, which is 35.4 percent of state total, including 957 in Miami-Dade County and 473 in Broward County. In the Treasure Coast area, there were 165 more cases – 35 in Indian River, 84 in St. Lucie, 28 in Martin and 18 in Okeechobee.
Palm Beach County has risen by 1,708 cases in one week for a 18.0 percent gain compared with Broward with 2,405 for 24.5 percent and Miami-Dade for 4,506 at 19.4 percent. Over seven days, Martin County climbed by 328 cases for 22.9 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 212 for 20.4 percent, Indian River County by 166 for 64.8 percent and Okeechobee County by 56 for 28.6 percent.
Palm Beach County's record of 391 was set one week ago Sunday. Palm Beach County's total is 11,536, third behind Broward with 12,217. Miami-Dade is in first place with 27,779 cases.
The mortality rate involving positive cases is 3.0 percent in the state compared with 5.0 percent in the United States and 5.1 percent worldwide, which neared 484,000 deaths and passed 9.5 million cases Wednesday.
Palm Beach County's rate was 4.2 percent, compared with Broward at 3.1 percent and Miami-Dade with 3.3 percent. With much fewer deaths, the mortality rate is 3.2 percent in St. Lucie, 3.3 percent in Indian River and 1.3 percent in Martin.
The total number of deaths in the state including nonresidents is 3,377, a rise of 44, a figure that state doesn't include on its dashboard or daily report.
Miami-Dade rose by 24 deaths to lead the state with 926. Broward increased by 1 to 378. St. Lucie rose by 1 to 43 with the death of a 71-year-old woman as Martin remained at 22, Indian River at 15 and Okeechobee none. In fourth place is Lee County with 148.
Palm Beach County, which gained 68 deaths last Wednesday, has been second in the state for deaths behind Miami-Dade. In Martin County, one of the county's two deaths Tuesday was identified in the state report Wednesday as a 95-year-old man. The other one was a 93-year-old woman.
The state deaths rose by 60 Tuesday – more than Wednesday's 44, after 12 Monday, 17 Sunday and 40 on Saturday. Last Wednesday, the state increase was 25.
The state record for increase 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.
Thirty-two of the 44 deaths were in South Florida for a total of 1,866, of 56.9 percent, though the population only comprises 30 percent of the state total.
Deaths rose by 219 in the state over seven days for 7.3 percent and in Palm Beach County it was 32 for 7.2 percent. The U.S. figure is 3.6 percent with the world at 7.2 percent.
A 17-year-old boy from Pasco County, who was counted as a confirmed case Friday, is now the youngest person to die from the coronavirus, joining two women in the 15-24 age class from Palm Beach County (22) and Miami-Dade County (23). Eighteen people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus.
The oldest is a 108-year-old women from Miami-Dade reported Wednesday, surpassing two women who were 104 from Sarasota and Hillsborough. A total of 1,173 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus.
Ninety-four percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 64 percent 75 and older in data. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 32 percent age 55 and older – compared with 40 percent two weeks ago – and 1`0 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 1,474 cases of infants to 4 years old and 54 were hospitalized. From ages 5-14, there are 3,131, with 49 in the hospital at one time.
Palm Beach County's death count is higher than 17 states, including Oklahoma at 372.
Palm Beach County had six deaths identified Wednesday --
3 women and 3 men ranging from 48 to 92.
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 2,622, an increase of 90. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose from 2,387 to 2,438 followed by Boynton Beach at 1,063 from 1,044, Boca Raton at 1,095, up from 1,042, Delray Beach at 767 from 752. Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 851, an increase of 48, followed with Stuart with 740 vs. 726.
In Indian River, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 13 to 109, compared to only 3 on May 31.
The state doesn't list total deaths by city.
Palm Beach County has 11,536 cases out of 126,881 total tested for 9.1 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 27,779 positive cases out of 268,718 tested for 10.3 percent, and Broward is second with 12,217 cases and 172,000 tested for 7.1 percentage.
In Martin County, it's 1,639 of 14,989 for 10.9 percent. In St. Lucie, it's 1,333 positive out of 20,145 for 6.6 percent, Indian River with 457 out of 11,829 for 3.9 percent and Okeechobee with 276 out of 2,961 for 9.3 percent.
An infant has tested positive in every South Florida county.
A total of 13,574 people in the state have been hospitalized at one time, which is 249 more than the day before and a rise from 12,389 last Wednesday. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
Including nonresidents in Pam Beach County, the number is 1,646 in Palm Beach County, an increase of 63, St. Lucie remained at 155, followed by Martin with 155, which is an increase of 5; Indian River with 53, a rise of 2, and 26 in Okeechobee, which is an increase of 2.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has said there is sufficient hospital bed capacity in the state, including intensive care units. In addition, hospitals can turn regular beds into ones for intensive car.
More than half of the deaths, 1,724, are residents and staff of long-term care, including 205 in Palm Beach County. The state increase was 17 and Palm Beach County stayed the same.
Florida, which is the third-most-populous state, is in ninth place, 121 ahead of Louisiana, which added 18 Wednesday, according to Worldometers.info.
Florida has 153 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 375 per million. New York, which represents one-quarter of the deaths in the nation, has 1,611 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 61.4 per million.
National data
Worldometers lists the death toll at 124,281 with 808 additional deaths Wednesday after 863 Tuesday. There have been 15 days in a row of deaths under 1,000. Johns Hopkins reports 121,969.
Cases hit 2,463,269 with a record 39,101 additional ones Wednesday. Last Wednesday, there were 849 additional deaths and 25,607 more cases. The previous record was 39,072 on April 24.
The one week U.S. death increase was 4,340.
California reported the most deaths with 96 for seventh place.
Their other top 10 daily increases were: No. 1 New York with 32, No. 2 New Jersey with 48, No.3 Massachusetts with 48, No. 4 Illinois with 63, No. 5 Pennsylvania with 57, No. 6 Michigan with 5, No. 8 Connecticut with 10.
No. 12 Georgia added 10. Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 21th place, with an increase of 9.
Arizona, which is in 18th place at 1,463, added a single-day high of 79 deaths, but 53 were determined through death certificate matching.
One week ago Wednesday in the United States, there were 119,941, two weeks ago there were 115,130, three weeks ago there were 109,383, four weeks ago 102,338, five weeks ago 95,155, six weeks ago 85,749, seven weeks ago 74,981, eight weeks ago 61,812, nine weeks ago 48,014, 10 weeks ago 32,794, 11 weeks ago 17,731, 12 weeks ago 6,407, 13 weeks ago 1,261, 12 weeks ago 171, 15 weeks ago 38, 16 weeks ago 11, 17 weeks ago 0.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 15.9 percent of the 5,071 additional deaths – a figure that has been declining – and 25.7 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 32,393. The additional death toll Tuesday was 5,465.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported 1,103 deaths after 1,364 deaths Tuesday. The record is 1,492 on June 4. The total is 53,874 compared with 39,797 two weeks ago. Brazil added 40,995 cases -- the most in the world – after a record 55,209 Friday. The South American nation has a total of 1,192,474 – almost half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 947 more deaths late Wednesday compared with 793 Tuesday as well as 5,437 cases. The record was 1,092 on June 4. The nation's deaths have risen from 15,357 to 24,324 in two weeks into seventh place.
India reported 424 deaths after 468 Tuesday to rise to 14,483 in eighth place, compared 8,107 two weeks ago. The Asian nation also reported a record 16,870 cases.
Five European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths increased from decreased from 280 deaths to 154 for third place with 43,081 – behind the United States and Brazil. The high was 1,172.
Fourth-place Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 30 – among the lowest since the pandemic.
No. 4 Spain added 2 deaths and No. 5 France climbed by 11 Wednesday after 57 Tuesday and a high of 1,494. No. 10 Belgium announced 9 deaths.
No. 11 Germany, which was displaced from the top 10 earlier last week by Iran, added 17 for the second day in a row. No. 10 Iran reported 133 deaths.
Russia is in third place in the world in cases with 606,881, including an additional 7,176 behind the United States and Brazil. The nation added 154 more deaths in 13th place, passing Canada, which added 30.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity, reported 48 deaths for a total of 5,209 in 16th. Neighboring Norway reported 1 death to rise to 249 as well as 16 more cases.
China, the original epicenter of the world but now in 18th place, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 19 cases Thursday. The 57 cases one week ago Sunday were the highest since 89 on April 13.
