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The Villages
Thursday, April 25, 2024

Six new COVID-19 patients in tri-county area as Florida tops 44,000 cases

Six new Coronavirus patients were identified in the tri-county area on Friday as Florida surpassed 44,000 cases of the potentially deadly virus.

The tri-county area – Sumter, Lake and Marion counties – is reporting 717 Coronavirus cases among 387 men, 310 women and 20 non-residents. There have been 35 deaths and 136 people suffering from the virus have been hospitalized.

Sumter County, which contains the vast majority of Villages homes, now has 250 cases among 178 men, 69 women and three non-residents. There have been 16 deaths and 42 people have been hospitalized.

Of the Sumter County cases, 121 are in Bushnell, with all but three of those apparently being at the Sumter Correctional Institution (102 inmates and 16 staff members. The number of cases in The Villages has been lowered to 63 but the number in Oxford has increased to 13. Other cases in the county have been identified in Lake Panasoffkee (22), Wildwood (9), Webster (7), Lady Lake portion of the county (6), Sumterville (4) and Coleman (2). The federal prison in Coleman also is reporting four cases among two inmates and two staff members.

Lake County is reporting 249 cases among 116 men, 121 women and 12 non-residents. The have been 14 deaths and 63 people have required some form of hospital care.

The majority of the Lake County cases – 83 – are in Clermont. Seven are in The Villages portion of the county, while 10 have been reported in Lady Lake and two people have tested positive in Fruitland Park. Other Lake County cases have been identified in Leesburg (39), Eustis (20), Tavares (17), Groveland (16), Mount Dora (16), Mascotte (12), Minneola (6), Sorrento (3), Okahumpka (1), Umatilla (1), Howey-in-the-Hills (1), Montverde (1), Grand Island (1) and Yalaha (1).

Marion County now has 218 COVID-19 cases among 93 men, 120 women and five non-resident. There have been five deaths and 31 people have been hospitalized.

The overwhelming majority of Marion County cases – 159, or 73 percent – have been reported in Ocala, with another 26 in Summerfield and at least one in The Villages. Other Marion County cases have been identified in Dunnellon (10), Citra (7), Belleview (6), Ocklawaha (4), Anthony (3), Reddick (2) and Silver Springs (1).

All told, Florida is reporting 44,138 COVID-19 cases among 42,940 residents. That’s an increase of 928 cases since Thursday. There have been 1,917 deaths and 7,959 people have been hospitalized across the Sunshine State.

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A Villager read about the Blackmores’ fence problem on Cherry Lake Road and he is in the same predicament. Read his Letter to the Editor.

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A Village of Hadley resident, in a Letter to the Editor, says he is trying to get to the bottom of the reason for the problems at golf courses in The Villages.

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A reader from Summerfield says that The Villages has done a great job of reeling in businesses, but can’t seem to land a Trader Joe’s.

Here’s the Secret Recipe when it comes to The Villages

Is there a Secret Recipe when it comes to The Villages? A Village of Fenney resident thinks so and he’s ready to offer his observations in a Letter to the Editor.

Vietnam veterans grateful for community support

An official with Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1036 is grateful for community support. Read his Letter to the Editor.