WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's coronavirus daily cases record was obliterated Sunday with 15,300, nearly 4,000 more than the previous high and 24 percent of the U.S. total, as daily tests soared to 142,981 but new deaths subsided to 45, the Florida Department of Health announced.
The previous state record for cases was set one week ago Saturday with 11,458. Saturday's total was 10,360, which was the fourth time it hit five digits. Friday's total was 11,433 and last Sunday was 10,059.
Florida also holds the record for most cases in one day in the United States. During the height of the pandemic, New York reached a peak of 12,274 cases in one day.
Since the first two cases were announced four months ago on March 1, Florida's total has surged to more than 1 percent of the state's population to a total of 269,811.
In one week, Florida's cases have risen by 69,700 for an increase of 34.8 percent. Last Sunday, total cases passed 200,000.
Since the first two deaths were announced on March 6, the death toll has climbed to 4,242, which is ninth in the nation. The number of nonresident deaths listed by the state remained at 104 for a total death count of 4,346.
Deaths rose by 511 in the state over seven days for 13.7 percent. The U.S. figure is 3.6 percent with the world at 6.4 percent.
Testing has dramatically ramped up from just a few at select sites to massive places throughout Florida as well as nursing homes, jails and farm workers. The total now is 2,576,813, fourth in the nation, behind No. 1 New York, No. 2 California and No. 3 Texas. That figure is more than 12 percent of Florida's population of 21.4 million.
Likewise the positive rate has risen to 10.5 percent overall from 10.3 the day before. A few weeks ago the daily rate was around 2-3 percent but has risen to 13.62 percent of results reported by labs Saturday. which is the lowest percentage in two weeks, after 15.31 the day before, a record 20.2 three days ago and 14.71 two weeks ago when there were 41,644 tests.
There were 142,981 tests from labs on Saturday for confirmed coronavirus or anti-bodies compared with 87,062 the day before and previous record 95,335 Friday. Two weeks ago there were 41,664.
The state reported 11.25 percent of people who tested for the first time were positive on tests received Saturday, which also is the lowest in two weeks, including 12.59 the day before and 13.72 two weeks ago.
With more testing and no requirements for someone to take a test, the median age has decreased to 39 and 38 for tests reported Saturday. In addition, the state mortality rate has subsided to 1.6 percent among residents but among those under 55 it is less than 0.2 percent.
And at one time, 18,271, have been hospitalized, which is an increase of 248 in one day, compared with 421 the day before.
Cases
Cases in Florida had stayed below 2,000 until June 13 with 2,581 and they often were under 1,000 with the last one of three digits 966 on June 8.
Palm Beach County has risen by 4,869 cases in one week for a 30.2 percent gain. Miami-Dade has risen by 17,433 at 37.1 percent and Broward by 8,786 at 41.4 percent.
Over seven days, Martin County climbed by 483 cases for 21.5 percent, St. Lucie County rose by 753 for 35.7 percent, Indian River County by 253 for 27.1 percent and Okeechobee County by 104 for 24.6 percent.
Mortality rate
The mortality rate, which compares positive cases against deaths, has been trending down in the state.
It is 1.6 percent in the state for all deaths and cases, including nonresidents, compared with 4.0 percent in the United States and 4.4 percent worldwide, which passed 571,000 deaths and passed 13 million cases Sunday.
Florida has 198 deaths per 1 million people compared with the U.S. average of 416 per million. New York, which represents one-quarter of the deaths in the nation, has 1,666 per million. Worldwide, the figure is 73.3 per million.
Age breakdown
The youngest deaths are two 11-year-olds: a boy in Miami-Dade and a girl in Broward, who are the only two in the 5-14 age class.
There are 12 deaths in the 15-24 class, including a 20-year-old male and two 22-year-old females from Broward (one was listed Sunday), a 16-year-old girl from Lee, a 17-year-old boy from Pasco County and a 22-year-old woman from Palm Beach County.
Twenty-four people from 25 to 34 also have died from the virus.
The oldest is a 108-year-old women from Miami-Dade. A total of 1,489 people 85 and older have died in the state from the virus, an increase of 11 in one day.
Ninety-two percent of the fatalities are 55 and older and 63 percent 75 and older. A smaller percentage of older people have tested positive – 26 percent age 55 and older and 7 percent 75 and older.
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 4,211 cases of infants to 4 years old, an increase of 176, and 91` were hospitalized, which is an increase of `1 in one day. In all, there were 1,182 cases of children under 1. From ages 5-14, there are 9,026, an increase of 462 with 69 in the hospital at one time, a rise of 2.
From the infant to 54 age group, 195,921 of the 266,119 residents have tested positive. But in that group, 301 have died, an increase of 4, for a 0.15 death percentage.
From infant to 65, there are 228,733 cases. A total of 699 have died, an increase of 6, for a 0.31 percentage.
Cities
West Palm Beach is in first place among Palm Beach County cities with 5,040, an increase of 311. Lake Worth, which includes the city and county portion, rose 104 to 4,001, followed by Boynton Beach at 1,828 from 1,742, Boca Raton at 2,511, up from 2,336, Delray Beach at 1,376 from 1,284. A total of 397 in the county not designated by a city.
Port St. Lucie leads the Treasure Coast with 1,805, an increase of 71, followed by Stuart with 1,354 vs. 1,325.
In Indian River County, Fellsmere, which has a population of 5,754, increased by 2 to 249, compared with only 3 on May 31.
Hospitalizations
A total of 18,271 people in the state have been hospitalized, a rise from 15,895 last Sunday. That means it is a running total and includes people who have been released or died.
Long-term care
Nearly half of the deaths, 2,100, are residents and staff of long-term care. The state increase was 18 and in Palm Beach County it was 3.
National
Florida's 45 deaths Sunday were second-most in the nation behind 86 in Arizona, which is in 16th place overall.
Florida, which is the third-most-populous state, is in ninth place, 106 behind No. 8 Connecticut, which reported no data Sunday.
Since the first death was reported on Feb. 29, the nationwide death toll has risen to 137,782, including an increase of 380 Sunday after 731 Saturday.
The last time deaths were more than 1,000 was June 9 with 1,105. Johns Hopkins reports 135,190.
Cases reached 3,413,995, with an increase of 58,349. Cases passed 70,000 Friday.
California had the second-most cases with 8,460 and Texas was third with 8,196.
Last Sunday in the U.S., there were 262 more deaths and 45,931 more cases.
The one week U.S. death increase was 4,801 at 3.6 percent.
New York has the most deaths in the nation with 32,403, including 11 more Sunday after a high of 799 in April. Its percentage share has been decreasing for weeks to 23.5 percent.
Among other states in the top 10: No. 2 New Jersey with 11, No. 3 Massachusetts 15, No. 4 Illinois 19, No. 5 California 25, No. 6 Pennsylvania 5, No. 7 Michigan 1 and No. 10 Louisiana 13.
No. 14 Georgia added 5 and Washington, which was the original epicenter in the United States, is in 21th place, with no reported deaths for two days in a row but 615 cases.
Worldwide
The U.S. represented 9.6 percent of the 3,956 additional deaths Sunday – and 24.1 percent of the world total though its population is only 4.3 percent of the global total. The one week world death increase was 34,449 at 6.4 percent.
The additional death toll last Saturday was 5,015.
Cases increased by 194,677 after a record 236,918 Friday.
Brazil, which is second behind the United States for deaths, reported a world-high 659 deaths after 968 Saturday for a total of 72,151. The record is 1,492 on June 4. Brazil added 25,364 cases after a record 55,209 one week ago Friday. The South American nation has a total of 1,866,176 cases – more than half as many as No. 1 U.S.
Mexico reported 276 more deaths late Sunday compared with 539 the day before and high of 1,092 on June 4, to move past Italy by 52 deaths into fourth place with 35,006. In addition, there were 4,482 cases, behind the record 7,280 Thursday.
India added 500 deaths after 543 Saturday to rise to 23,187 in eighth place. The Asian nation also reported a record 29,108 cases, beating the record of 27,761 two days ago for a third-place total of 879,466, behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Four European nations are in the top 10. The United Kingdom's deaths increased from 43 to 21 for third place with 44,819, which is behind the United States and Brazil. The high was 1,172.
Italy, which at one time was the world's epicenter and reached 919 in one day, reported 9 deaths, among the lowest since the pandemic. No. 6 France and No. 7 Spain didn't report any data this weekend.
Germany, which at one time was in the top 10 and now is in 13th place, reported no deaths for the first time since the pandemic.
Also in the top 10, No. 9 Iran reported 194 after a record 221 Thursday. No. 10 Peru had 188.
Russia is in fourth place in the world in cases with 727,162, including an additional 6,615. The nation gained 130 deaths for 11th place.
No. 14 Canada added 10 deaths for a total of 8,783 and well as 243 cases.
Sweden, which has been doing "herd immunity, reported no data this weekend after 11 deaths Friday for a total of 5,526 in 17th and 163 cases. Neighboring Norway, which had a lockdown, reported no deaths for the third day in a row to stay at 252 as well as 3 more cases.
No. 22 China, the original epicenter of the world, hasn’t reported a death since April 26 and added 8 cases Monday.
This story originally reported by Allen Cone on WPTV.com.