The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 across the state fell this week, while the positive test rate for new cases averaged out to 5.6 percent over the past seven days, according to the Florida Department of Health.
There were 632 fewer people hospitalized due to the virus by Friday compared to the start of the week. Hospitals across the state reported 25 percent of their beds are available and 21 percent of ICU beds.
The state reported 103 deaths from COVID-19 since Thursday’s report, including five in the Sarasota-Manatee area, five in Hernando County and three in Polk County.
Twenty-nine of the day’s reported deaths occurred in long-term care facilities.
The state's daily report shows Florida counted 3,198 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the positive test rate for new coronavirus cases Friday was 5.1 percent, out of 71,115 tests returned.
In all, 640,211 people have tested positive for the virus in Florida since the pandemic began, and 11,903 have died.
The deaths were reported by the state in Friday’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 tests as of Thursday, September 3:
- Hillsborough: 37,981
- Pinellas: 20,259
- Polk: 17,566
- Manatee: 10,601
- Pasco: 8,230
- Sarasota: 7,338
- Hernando: 2,742
Florida COVID-19 daily total of positive tests/deaths for the last two weeks:
- September 4: 3,198/ 103
- September 3: 3,571/ 149
- September 2: 2,402/ 130
- September 1: 7,569*/ 190
- August 31: 1,885/ 68
- August 30: 2,583 / 14
- August 29: 3,197 / 150
- August 28: 3,815 / 88
- August 27: 3,269/139
- August 26: 3,220 /155
- August 25: 2,673/183
- August 24: 2,258/72
- August 23: 2,974/ 51
- August 22: 4,311/ 107
*About 75,000 tests were from Quest since 4/22, 3,870 were positive
