Another Lake County resident has succumbed to the Coronavirus as Florida reported nearly 9,000 new cases Friday – including those in The Villages and surrounding areas.

The latest victim was identified as an 88-year-old woman who tested positive on June 19. No other specific information was released about the woman, who became the 22nd fatality in Lake County and the 49th in the tri-county area.

Another Villager in Sumter County also has tested positive for COVID-19, with 11 other new patients identified in surrounding communities. Those include:

  • Six new cases in Leesburg for a total of 128;
  • One new case in Lady Lake for a total of 28;
  • One new case in Fruitland Park for a total of 11;
  • One new case in Summerfield for a total of 51; and
  • Two new cases in Belleview for a total of 30.

The Villages is now reporting 105 cases among those who are considered among the most vulnerable to the virus. Of those, 92 are in Sumter County, 10 are in Lake County and two are in the Marion County section of the sprawling retirement mecca.

Overall, the tri-county area is reporting 1,812 cases – an increase of 130 from Thursday to Friday – among 944 men, 841 women, 24 non-residents and three people listed as unknown. A total of 215 people have been hospitalized with the virus.

Lake County continues to lead the way in the tri-county area with 975 cases – an increase of 94 over a 24-hour period – among 503 men, 452 women, 17 non-residents and three people listed as unknown. There have been 22 deaths and 103 people hospitalized.

Clermont continues to pace Lake County with 267 cases. Others have been reported in Tavares (177, 119 of which are at the Lake County Jail), Eustis (98), Mount Dora (55), Groveland (44), Sorrento (26), Minneola (22), Umatilla (16), Mascotte (17), Montverde (12), Howey-in-the-Hills (8), Okahumpka (4), Altoona (4), Astor (3), Grand Island (3), Paisley (3), Astatula (3) and Yalaha (2).
Sumter County increased by five cases for a total of 313 among 215 men, 96 women and two non-residents. There have been 17 deaths and 48 people have required some form of hospital care.

Bushnell continues to report the most cases – 126 – in Sumter County. Of those, 120 have been reported at the Sumter Correctional Institution. Other cases have been identified in Lake Panasoffkee (22), Oxford (21), Webster (12), Wildwood (11), Lady Lake portion of the county (7), Coleman (7), Sumterville (5) and Center Hill (5). The federal prison in Coleman also has identified seven cases among six staff members and one inmate.

Marion County now has 524 cases – an increase of 31 – among 226 men, 293 women and five non-residents. There have been 10 deaths and 64 people have been seen in area hospitals.

The overwhelming majority of Marion County cases – 347 – have been reported in Ocala. Others have been identified in Dunnellon (22), Citra (15), Ocklawaha (9), Silver Springs (7), Anthony (5), Reddick (5), Weirsdale (4) and Fort McCoy (2).

All told, Florida is reporting 122,960 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 8,942 in a 24-hour period. Of those, 120,574 are residents. There have been 3,366 deaths and 13,987 people have been hospitalized across the Sunshine State. Those numbers show 39 more deaths since Wednesday and an additional 212 people being treated in hospitals.