Covid-19 Death Toll In Florida For The First Time Surpasses The 9,000 Mark

From the Florida Phoenix:

By Diane Rado
August 14, 2020

The Florida Department of Health on Friday reported 9,141 COVID-19 deaths of Florida residents, up from 8,913 the day before.

The 228 new deaths were from nearly 40 counties across Florida. Of the 67 counties, all have at least 100 deaths.

Of the total number of deaths, 3,886 were from staffers and residents of long-term care facilities. The majority of deaths from nursing homes and other facilities came from Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Broward and Hillsborough and Lee counties.

In an analysis by the New York Times, Florida ranks 5th in the number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States, but 17th in the rate of deaths per 100,000 people.

The state on Friday also reported 563,285 COVID-19 infections, with Florida second only to California in the number of cases in the United States. Florida ranks third in the rate of infections.

The increases in both both infections and deaths come at a time when families are sending children to schools in some districts where infection rates are high, or are contemplating whether they should send their children to brick-and-mortar classrooms or choose online learning.

This story was originally published by the Florida Phoenix. For more stories from the Florida Phoenix, visit FloridaPhoenix.com.