Florida Reports 1,533 New COVID-19 Cases, 47 Deaths Following Weekend Data Issue

Monday’s report from the Florida Department of Health shows 1,533 people tested positive for the coronavirus since Sunday, bringing the statewide total to 736,024.

The state received 40,510 tests Sunday. The positivity rate among those tested for the first time was 4.28%.

The Department of Health did not issue a report at all Saturday after receiving about 400,000 previously reported test results from the Helix laboratory company. It said then it would need to “de-duplicate hundreds of thousands of results.”

On Monday, the state released a statement clearing Helix of blame for the issue, adding that the number of test results submitted was "significantly lower" than 400,000.

Monday’s report shows 340 new positive tests in the greater Tampa Bay region.

It also recorded the deaths of 47 people due to complications from COVID-19 since Sunday’s report, bringing the statewide death toll to 15,599. There were nine deaths reported in the greater Tampa Bay area.

The deaths were recorded by the state since Sunday’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 Monday, Oct. 12:

• Hillsborough: 44,256
• Pinellas: 23,215
• Polk: 21,157
• Manatee: 12,173
• Pasco: 9,871
• Sarasota: 8,684
• Hernando: 3,362

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

• Oct. 12: 1,533/47
• Oct. 11: 5,570/180
• Oct. 10: No report issued from DOH *
• Oct. 9: 2,908/118
• Oct. 8: 3,306/170
• Oct. 7: 2,582/139
• Oct. 6: 2,251/59
• Oct. 5: 1,415/41
• Oct. 4: 1,868/43
• Oct. 3: 2,787/74
• Oct. 2: 2,660/111
• Oct. 1: 2,628/131
• Sept. 30: 1,948/175
• Sept. 29: 3,266/106

* - On Oct. 10, a data dump of previously reported lab results prevented the reporting system from normal processing of lab results.

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