Four more tri-county residents have succumbed to COVID-19 as the virus continues to smack The Villages and surrounding communities.

Three of the latest victims were Marion County residents and the fourth one lived in Lake County. They were identified as:

  • 77-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive June 30, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with someone else suffering from COVID-19;
  • 85-year-old Marion County man who tested positive July 13, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient;
  • 75-year-old Marion County man who tested positive July 20, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient; and
  • 70-year-old Lake County man who tested positive July 16, hadn’t traveled recently nor been in contact with someone else suffering from COVID-19.

Six new cases also were reported Thursday in The Villages – four in the Sumter County portion of the community and two in the Lake County section of the sprawling retirement mecca. That brings the total in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown to 327 – 303 in Sumter County, 22 in Lake County and two in the Marion County portion of the mega-retirement community.

A total of 116 new cases also were reported Thursday in areas just outside the confines of The Villages. Those include:

  • Leesburg up 65 for a total of 573;
  • Lady Lake up 13 for a total of 127;
  • Fruitland Park up 11 for a total of 59;
  • Summerfield up 10 for a total of 172;
  • Belleview up eight for a total of 150;
  • Wildwood up six for a total of 142; and
  • Lady Lake portion of Sumter County up three for a total of 23.

The tri-county area is now reporting 7,586 cases – an increase of 285 from Wednesday to Thursday – among 3,608 men, 3,851 women, 44 non-residents and 83 people listed as unknown. There have been 96 deaths and 600 people have been hospitalized.

Sumter County is reporting 902 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 21 in a 24-hour period – among 496 men, 395 women, seven non-residents and four people listed as unknown. There have been 21 deaths and 131 people requiring some form of hospital care.

Bushnell has identified 191 cases – 126 of which are at the Sumter Correctional Institution among 103 inmates and 23 staff members. Others have been reported in Oxford (53), Lake Panasoffkee (45), Webster (39), Coleman (30), Center Hill (29) and Sumterville (14). The federal prison in Coleman also is reporting 330 cases among 258 inmates and 72 staff members.

Lake County continues to lead the local area with 3,757 cases – an increase of 163 in 24 hours – among 1,760 men, 1,911 women, 29 non-residents and 57 people listed as unknown. There have been 37 deaths and 182 people hospitalized.

Clermont continues to pace Lake County with 940 cases. Others have been identified in Tavares (495, 23 of which are at the Lake County Jail among one inmate, 20 staff members and two contracted nurses), Eustis (322), Groveland (258), Mount Dora (240), Mascotte (134), Minneola (105), Sorrento (98), Montverde (73), Umatilla (64), Grand Island (36), Howey-in-the-Hills (28), Astor (23), Astatula (20), Yalaha (17), Paisley (13), Altoona (13), Okahumpka (11), Ferndale (3) and Mount Plymouth (3).

Marion County is reporting 2,927 cases – an increase of 101. Those are comprised of 1,352 men, 1,545 women, eight non-residents and 22 people listed as unknown. There have been 38 deaths and 287 people have been hospitalized.

The overwhelming majority of Marion County cases – 2,144 – have been reported in Ocala. Others have been identified in Dunnellon (110), Citra (39), Silver Springs (37), Reddick (35), Ocklawaha (34), Weirsdale (21), Anthony (15), Fort McCoy (8), Orange Lake (5), Candler (3), East Lake (3), Lowell (3), Sparr (1) and Morriston (1).

All told, Florida is reporting 389,868 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 10,249 from Wednesday to Thursday. Of those, 385,091 are residents. There have been 5,632 deaths and 22,644 people have been hospitalized across the Sunshine State. Those numbers show 173 more deaths since Wednesday and an additional 401 people requiring hospital care.