Florida reports 282 COVID deaths, more than 73,000 cases in last week

Garfield Hylton, Orlando Sentinel
·4 min read
Florida reports 282 COVID deaths, more than 73,000 cases in last week

The state Department of Health reported 73,166 new coronavirus cases this week among Florida residents to bring the cumulative total to 2,479,975. With 282 more fatalities, 38,670 Florida residents are now dead.

This week’s 282 deaths are up from the 231 last week, but deaths can take several days or weeks to be reported. Cases, though, jumped by more than 27,000 week over week, and positivity jumped as well to more than 15%.

The jump in weekly positive cases has not been seen since the end of January when the state was in the midst of a massive surge in positivity and COVID-related deaths, but also within the first months of vaccine availability. Reported deaths have been climbing the last three weeks, but are not near the January and February tolls that saw more than 1,000 weekly reported deaths several times.

Of note, the new state reports deal only with Florida resident cases – instead of residents and non-residents combined – because the non-resident numbers are no longer available in the new reports.

Hospitalizations

Across the state, hospitalizations are rising with 5,548 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 for the seven-day period from July 15-21, according to the latest White House report. In comparison, 3,652 were hospitalized the previous week. The week before that, it was 2,369.

Statewide, 11,469,755 residents, or 60% of ages 12 and up, have received at least one vaccination shot, including 9,914,406, who have completed their shot regimens. The count is a snapshot through July 22.

Statewide, the latest weekly positivity rate reported by the Florida Department of Health was 15.1%, but that’s for new cases only and excludes anyone who previously tested positive. That is up from 11.5% reported last week.

Central Florida added 16,520 resident cases this week, based on actual date the state opened the case, for a total of 463,375: 5,351 more in Orange for 155,486; 2,416 more in Polk for 77,005; 1,477 in Osceola for 49,851; 2,169 in Volusia for 49,698; 2,166 in Brevard for 48,006; 1,589 in Seminole for 39,666; 1,165 in Lake for 33,688; and 197 in Sumter for 9,975.

Deaths are not available by county in the new weekly report.

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Symptoms? Do this

Are you feeling stressed or depressed from the COVID19 outbreak? There are resources available for you. You can contact the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or visit https://www.samhsa.gov/disaster-preparedness

How to protect yourself

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  • Stay home when you are sick and avoid contact with people in poor health.

  • Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

  • Clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Questions? Here are numbers to call

The Florida Department of Health has set up a call center to answer questions about coronavirus. There’s a number for Orange County, too.

The Florida Department of Health’s number is 1-866-779-6121 and is available Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents may also email questions to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

In Orange County, the number to call is 407-723-5004; it’s available Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For mental-health help, here is a list of resources.

For accurate, up-to-date information, visit

This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com.