Sixty-three Villagers have now tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, including the first one to be identified in the Marion County portion of the mega-retirement community.
That patient is an 83-year-old man who hasn’t traveled recently. He is now among the 315 tri-county residents – 153 men and 162 women – who are suffering from the potentially deadly virus. Eleven of those patients have died and 71 have required hospital care.
It doesn’t appear as if 25 area residents who tested positive recently at a UF Health testing site at The Villages Polo Fields are included in the numbers released by the Florida Department of Health each day. That site, which was officially shut down on Wednesday after creating mass frustrations for Villagers seeking tests for several days, was created mostly for research purposes. Of the 2,280 non-FDA-approved tests the site administered the week of March 23, almost 1,400 were given to those who weren’t showing any symptoms of the disease.
It also was announced Thursday that five patients have been tested at UF Health The Villages Hospital and all were identified as suffering from COVID-19. Another 13 have been tested at UF Health Leesburg Hospital, with nine of those, including Villager Tony Perry, testing positive for the virus.
As of Thursday night, Sumter County was reporting 100 victims of the Coronavirus. They are comprised of 54 men and 46 women and range in age from 18 to 92. Seven have died, including Villager Carol Lynch, and 27 have been hospitalized.
Besides the 55 living in The Villages, the others reside in Lake Panasoffkee (20), Bushnell (7), Webster (7), Wildwood (5), Sumterville (1) and Coleman (1). Four patients also live in the Lady Lake portion of the county.
Lake County continues to lead the way in the tri-county area with 140 COVID-19 cases. Those patients – 67 men and 73 women – range in age from 11 to 86. Two have died and 36 have required hospital care.
Besides the seven patients who live in The Villages portion of Lake County and the five who call Lady Lake home, some of the others testing positive reside in Clermont (43), Leesburg (20), Tavares (13), Groveland (10), Mascotte (9), Eustis (8), Mount Dora (7), Minneola (5), Sorrento (2), Umatilla (1) and Okahumpka (1).
Marion County is reporting 75 COVID cases among 32 men and 43 women. Their ages range from 19 to 88. Two have died and eight have required hospitalization.
Besides the one identified as a Villager and the 13 living in Summerfield – it’s not clear if they residents of Del Webb Spruce Creek, Stonecrest or Spruce Creek South – the others reside in Ocala (47), Belleview (3), Dunnellon (2), Anthony (2), Citra (2), Ocklawaha (1), Silver Springs (1).
All told, 16,826 cases of the Coronavirus have been identified among the 156,852 in Florida who have been tested. There have been 371 deaths and 2,298 patients have required hospital care.
