Another COVID-19 case reported just outside boundaries of The Villages

Another case of the potentially deadly Coronavirus has been identified just outside the confines of Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.

The new patient lives in Lady Lake, where 18 cases have now been identified. Another six have been reported in the Sumter County portion of the community, bringing the total to 24 cases nestled near the northern portion of the mega-retirement community where some of the older and most vulnerable-to-COVID-19 residents live.

As of Wednesday, the tri-county area was reporting 893 COVID-19 cases –an increase of six in a 24-hour period. Those are comprised of 463 men, 408 women and 22 non-residents. There have been 40 deaths and 169 people have been hospitalized.
Sumter County increased by just one case on Wednesday to 265. Those are divided among 187 men, 76 women and two non-residents. There have been 17 deaths and 45 people have been hospitalized.

Sixty-nine of the Sumter County cases are in The Villages, with another 122 reported in Bushnell, all but one of which is at the Sumter Correctional Institution (105 inmates and 16 staff members). Other cases have been identified in Lake Panasoffkee (22), Oxford (19), Wildwood (9), Webster (8), Lady Lake portion of the county (6), Sumterville (5) and Coleman (3). The federal prison in Coleman also has identified six cases among four staff members and two inmates.

Lake County added three cases for a total of 342 among 156 men, 171 women and 15 non-residents. There have been 15 deaths and 82 people have required some form of hospital care.

In addition to the Lady Lake cases in Lake County, nine are in The Villages and six are in Fruitland Park. Others have been identified in Clermont (105), Leesburg (48), Eustis (35), Tavares (23), Mount Dora (21), Groveland (19), Mascotte (14), Minneola (8), Sorrento (5), Montverde (4), Howey-in-the-Hills (3), Altoona (2), Okahumpka (1), Umatilla (2), Grand Island (1), Paisley (1) and Yalaha (1).

Marion County is now reporting 286 cases – an increase of just two in a 24-hour period. Those include 120 men, 161 women and five non-residents. There have been eight deaths and 42 people have been seen in area hospitals.

Two of the Marion County cases have been reported in The Villages, with another 30 in nearby Summerfield, where the retirement communities of Del Webb Spruce Creek, Stonecrest and Spruce Creek South are located. It’s unclear if any of the county’s COVID-19 patients live in those communities, as that specific information isn’t provided by the Florida Department of Health.

The newest Marion County cases have been identified as two women from Ocala, ages 42 and 79. The Florida Department of Corrections also is reporting that one employee at Lowell Correctional Institution and another at Marion Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Both of those prison facilities are located in Ocala.

The overwhelming majority of Marion County cases – 204 – have been identified in Ocala. Others also have been reported in Dunnellon (13), Citra (10), Belleview (9), Ocklawaha (4), Anthony (3), Reddick (2), Silver Springs (2) and Fort McCoy (1).

All told, Florida is reporting 67,371 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 1,371 in a 24-hour period. Of those, 65,779 are residents. There have been 2,801 deaths and 11,345 people have been hospitalized across the Sunshine State.