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The Villages
Tuesday, April 23, 2024

COVID-19 strikes 4 more Villagers and 3 staffers at Wildwood assisted living facility

Four more Sumter County Villagers and three employees at a Wildwood long-term care facility have tested positive for COVID-19 as the virus continues to sweep across Florida and the tri-county area.

Three staff members at Cypress Care Center, located at 490 S. Old Wire Rd. in Wildwood, have tested positive for the potentially deadly COVID-19 virus.

No specific information about the Villages residents nor the staff members at Cypress Care Center, located at 490 S. Old Wire Road in Wildwood, was provided by the Florida Department of Health. But the newest cases in Sumter County have been identified as:

22-year-old female;
61-year-old female;
39-year-old female;
38-year-old male;
86-year-old female;
70-year-old female;
73-year-old female who hadn’t traveled recently;
66-year-old female who hadn’t traveled recently;
45-year-old male;
6-year-old female;
32-year-old female;
50-year-old female;
23-year-old listed as unknown;
59-year-old listed as unknown;
26-year-old listed as unknown;
43-year-old male;
11-year-old female;
13-year-old female;
29-year-old listed as unknown;
37-year-old male;
73-year-old female;
43-year-old male; and
Sumter 80-year-old female.

There are now 122 cases of COVID-19 being reported in The Villages. The overwhelming majority – 110 – are in the Sumter County portion of the sprawling retirement mecca, while 10 are in Lake County and two are in the Marion County portion of the community. Since June 15, 43 Villagers in Sumter County alone have tested positive for the potentially deadly virus.

Thirteen new cases also were reported in communities just outside the confines of The Villages. Those include:

Leesburg increased by 10 for a total of 189;
Summerfield increased by one for a total of 60;
Fruitland Park increased by one for a total of 18; and
Wildwood increased by one for a total of 17.

Overall, the tri-county area is reporting 2,505 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 186 from Tuesday to Wednesday – among 1,263 men, 1,203 women, 27 non-residents and 12 people listed as listed as unknown. There have been 49 deaths and 235 people have been hospitalized.

Sumter County is now reporting 368 cases – an increase of 23 in a 24-hour period. Those are divided among 232 men, 128 women, three non-residents and five people listed as unknown. There have been 17 deaths and 49 people have been seen in area hospitals.

Bushnell continues to pace Sumter County with 141 COVID-19 cases – 120 of which have been reported at the Sumter Correctional Institution). Other cases have been reported in Lake Panasoffkee (25), Oxford (23), Webster (15), Center Hill (12), Lady Lake portion of the county (7), Coleman (7) and Sumterville (6). The federal prison in Coleman also has now identified 14 cases among 11 staff members and three inmates.

Lake County continues to lead the tri-county area with 1,410 cases – an increase of 108 in 24 hours – among 696 men, 688 women, 19 non-residents and seven people listed as unknown. There have been 22 deaths and 116 people have been hospitalized.

Clermont continues to lead Lake County with 387 cases – an increase of 43 in a 24-hour period. Other cases also have been identified in Tavares (231, 144 of which are at the Lake County Jail, divided among 123 inmates and 21 staff members), Eustis (147), Mount Dora (83), Groveland (82), Minneola (35), Sorrento (34), Lady Lake (32), Mascotte (27), Umatilla (22), Montverde (20), Howey-in-the-Hills (13), Grand Island (8), Okahumpka (7), Yalaha (7), Altoona (6), Astor (5), Paisley (3), Astatula (3) and Mount Plymouth (1).

Marion County is now reporting 727 cases – an increase of 55. Those are divided among 335 men, 387 women and five non-residents. There have been 10 deaths and 70 people have been hospitalized.

The overwhelming majority of Marion County cases – 496 – are in Ocala, which saw an increase of 59 overnight. Others have been identified in Belleview (40), Dunnellon (31), Citra (17), Ocklawaha (12), Weirsdale (8), Silver Springs (7), Reddick (6), Anthony (5), Fort McCoy (2) and Candler (1).

All told, Florida is reporting 158,997 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 6,563 in a 24-hour period. Of those, 156,288 are residents. There have been 3,650 deaths and 14,825 people have been hospitalized across the Sunshine State. Those numbers show 145 more deaths since Tuesday and an additional 245 people being treated in hospitals.

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