3,573 new cases of coronavirus reported Saturday; 62 new deaths

President says CDC director was confused about vaccine question

The president said he has a different opinion about the timeline of a potential COVID-19 vaccine than the guidance given by the director of the Centers for Disease Control, Robert Redfield.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health says the number of known cases of COVID-19 in the state rose by 3,573 Saturday. According to the state's daily update, the total number of cases in Florida is now 681,233.

The number of Florida resident deaths has reached 13,287, an increase of 62 since Friday's update. In addition, a total of 162 non-Floridians have died in the state. Locally, Citrus County is reporting three new deaths, Polk County is reporting two and Pasco and Polk Counties are each reporting one new death.

Bay Area COVID-19 cases by the numbers:

Hillsborough: 40,587

Pinellas: 21,440

Sarasota: 7,848

Manatee: 11,158

Sumter: 2,154

Polk: 19,035

Citrus: 2,606

Hernando: 2,999

Pasco: 8,816

Highlands: 2,068

DeSoto: 1,545

Hardee: 1,274

SOURCE: Florida Department of Health

The state is not reporting a total number of "recovered" coronavirus patients. As of Saturday, 2,272 Floridians were currently hospitalized for a primary diagnosis of COVID-19; in total, 42,374 have been hospitalized for treatment at some point.

A total of 5,075,633 residents have been tested in the state as of Saturday-- 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 109th 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 4.53% on Friday, 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.

COVID UPDATES: Download the free FOX 13 News app for ongoing coronavirus coverage and live updates

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

Doctor debunks mask myths

Dr. Joette Giovinco goes over some of the more prevalent myths about masks and COVID-19.

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

AROUND THE WORLD: CoronavirusNOW.com

Map of known COVID-19 cases:

MOBILE APP USERS: Click here for map