On a day of controversy surrounding the COVID-19 database, only five new cases were reported in the tri-county area.
A Florida Department of Health data manager claimed Tuesday that she was forced to resign from her job maintaining the state’s COVID-19 database, which is updated daily, because she refused to change numbers that could “drum up” support for Florida’s reopening plan amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Rebekah Jones, who created the popular dashboard, claimed she was removed from her position on May 5 and then on Monday offered a settlement to resign instead of being fired. She didn’t elaborate to various news sources of which data she allegedly refused to alter.
On Tuesday, the COVID-19 database was continuing to be updated as the state neared 47,000 cases of the potentially deadly virus. The tri-county area – Sumter, Lake and Marion counties – was reporting 734 cases of the Coronavirus divided upon 395 men, 318 women and 21 non-residents. There have been 35 deaths ands 142 people have been hospitalized.
Sumter County is reporting 253 cases, an increase of just one from Monday to Tuesday. Those are divided among 180 men, 70 women and three non-residents. There have been 16 deaths and 44 people have required some form of hospital care.
Marion County also increased by just one case in a 24-hour period to 224. Those are comprised of 96 men, 123 women and five non-residents. There have been five deaths and 31 people have been hospitalized.
Lake County is reporting 257 cases, an increase of three. Those are comprised of 119 men, 125 women and 13 non-residents. There have been 14 deaths and 67 people have received hospital care.
So far, 23,932 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the tri-county area, with 23,165 coming back negative and 33 inconclusive. Another 599 people are awaiting testing. Those numbers break down as:
- Sumter County (3,324 people tested, 3,058 negative results, 13 inconclusive and 23 awaiting testing);
- Lake County (12,559 people tested, 12,285 negative results, 17 inconclusive and eight awaiting testing); and
- Marion County (8,049 people tested, 7,822 negative results, three inconclusive and 568 awaiting testing).
All told, Florida is reporting 46,944 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 522 in a 24-hour period. Of those, 45,684 are Sunshine State residents. There have been 2,052 deaths and 8,494 people have been hospitalized across the state.
