2,521 new coronavirus cases reported Sunday; 9 new deaths
Officials discuss regional approach to mask mandate exit
As talk begins in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties to end mask mandates, there are calls for Bay Area counties to take a regional approach to avoid confusion.
TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health says the number of known cases of COVID-19 in the state rose by 2,521 Sunday. According to the state's daily update, the total number of cases in Florida is now 683,754.
The number of Florida resident deaths has reached 13,296, an increase of 9 since Saturday's update. In addition, a total of 163 non-Floridians have died in the state. Locally, Citrus County is reporting three new deaths.
Bay Area COVID-19 cases by the numbers:
Hillsborough: 40,751
Pinellas: 21,498
Sarasota: 7,877
Manatee: 11,210
Sumter: 2,163
Polk: 19,126
Citrus: 2,623
Hernando: 3,023
Pasco: 8,865
Highlands: 2,078
DeSoto: 1,549
Hardee: 1,297
SOURCE: Florida Department of Health
The state is not reporting a total number of "recovered" coronavirus patients. As of Sunday, 2,284 Floridians were currently hospitalized for a primary diagnosis of COVID-19; in total, 42,453 have been hospitalized for treatment at some point.
A total of 5,074,443 residents have been tested in the state as of Sunday-- about 23.6% of the state's population -- according to the Florida Department of Health.
LINK: County-by-county Florida coronavirus cases and ZIP code map
SOURCE: Florida Department of Health
Today's new case number represents the 110th straight day with new cases near or over 1,000 per day. The rate of positive new tests increased during that time period but has begun to trend down, remaining below 10% for four weeks. It was at 4.64% on Saturday, the most recent date available.
The number of new cases has generally trended down over the last few weeks, mirroring the number of tests being given.
After peaking in July, the number of deaths also began a downward trend in August -- though "significant delays" in data reporting, as the state says, make interpreting short-term trends from that statistic less reliable.
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SOURCE: Florida Department of Health
PDF: DOH's full county-by-county COVID-19 case report
Editor's note: The number of new cases and deaths reported each day does not necessarily reflect the day that the case was confirmed. The state says some private testing labs dump large batches of test results which include cases from previous days. Stats for today and previous days will likely change in the future as the state reviews more cases and updates retroactive data.
The state's number of deaths represents permanent Florida residents who have died from COVID-19.
MAP: Florida coronavirus cases by county
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If you feel sick:
The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.
LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website
CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: What you need to know
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Map of known COVID-19 cases:
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