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Florida’s COVID-19 Cases Surpass 900,000; Death Toll Nears 18,000

WUSF | By Lisa Peakes

Published November 18, 2020 at 9:10 PM EST

Statewide, 905,248 people have tested positive since the pandemic began.

The positivity rate for first-time COVID-19 tests has been over 7% for the past 10 days.

According to Wednesday’s report from the Florida Department of Health, 7,925 people tested positive for the coronavirus statewide since Tuesday.
Statewide, 905,248 people have tested positive since the pandemic began.

As of noon Wednesday, 3,345 people were being treated at hospitals in Florida because of the virus. That’s 12 fewer than Tuesday.

The state got back the results for 104,996 tests Tuesday, and of those tested for the first time, 8.16% were positive. It’s the 10th straight day the positivity rate for first-time tests has been over 7%.

State health officials recorded the deaths of 88 people due to complications from COVID-19 since Tuesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 17,949.
In the greater Tampa Bay region, 1,311 people tested positive. It's the third day in four the local total topped 1,000.

Hillsborough County reported 468 positive tests Wednesday. It was the highest single-day total for the county since August 2, when 529 people tested positive. The largest number of daily cases for the county was reported on June 27, when 1,112 positive tests were recorded in a 24-hour period.
In Pasco County, 197 people tested positive — the most in a single day for the county since July 10, when 229 positive tests came back. Pasco's all-time high daily case number was also recorded on June 27, when 304 people tested positive.

Hospital admissions were up slightly in every county in the Bay area, with the exception of Pinellas.

In the Tampa region, 30 people died due to complications from the virus, 11 of them in Hillsborough.

The deaths were recorded by the state since Tuesday’s report, but they may have occurred days or weeks earlier.

ABOUT THE DATA: The Florida Department of Health produces a daily update around 11 a.m. with information about COVID-19 cases and deaths that were reported over the previous 24 hours. Cases and deaths in the report may have happened days or weeks earlier, according to state officials. The state separately tracks cases and deaths that occurred on specific days on its dashboard and those totals are frequently updated.

Greater Tampa Bay region positive case and death totals as of Wednesday, November 18:

Hillsborough: 53,900 / 877
Pinellas: 29,737 / 862
Polk: 25,696 / 657
Manatee: 15,147 / 364
Pasco: 12,968 / 263
Sarasota: 11,620 / 362
Hernando: 4,366 / 187

Florida COVID-19 daily total of positive tests/deaths for the past two weeks:

Nov. 18: 7,925/88
Nov. 17: 7,459/86
Nov. 16: 4,663/41
Nov. 15: 10,105/30
Nov. 14: 4,544/45
Nov. 13: 6,933/74
Nov. 12: 5,607/73
Nov. 11: 5,838/52
Nov. 10: 4,353/69
Nov. 9: 3,924/58
Nov. 8: 6,820/22
Nov. 7: 4,452/87
Nov. 6: 5,245/54
Nov. 5: 6,257/39

Florida’s COVID-19 Cases Surpass 900,000; Death Toll Nears 18,000

The positivity rate for first-time COVID-19 tests has been over 7% for the past 10 days.

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