Five more local residents have died of COVID-19 as the virus continues to sweep through The Villages and surrounding communities.

One of the fatalities was in Lake County and the other four were in Marion County. The Florida Department of Health didn’t release information about the specific communities they lived in. But they were described on a report released Wednesday as:

  • 69-year-old Lake County man who tested positive July 22;
  • 49-year-old Marion County man who tested positive July 9, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with someone else suffering from the virus;
  • 84-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive July 10, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient;
  • 56-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive July 22, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient; and
  • 32-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive July 28, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient.

Eleven new cases were identified in The Villages – nine in Sumter County and two in the Lake County portion of the community. That brings the total in the sprawling retirement mecca to 391 – 362 in the fast-growing Sumter County area, 26 in Lake County and three in Marion County.

Thirty-two new cases also were reported in communities just outside The Villages. Those include:

  • Leesburg up nine for a total of 654;
  • Lady Lake up seven for a total of 158;
  • Summerfield up six for a total of 200;
  • Fruitland Park up four for a total of 76;
  • Wildwood up four for a total of 170; and
  • Belleview up two for a total of 173.

The tri-county area is reporting a total of 9,685 cases – an increase of 470 from Tuesday to Wednesday – among 4,194 men, 5,346 women, 51 non-residents and 94 people listed as unknown. There have been 132 deaths and 745 people have been hospitalized.

Lake County continues to lead the local area with 4,326 cases – an increase of 67 in a 24-hour period – among 2,006 men, 2,219 women, 32 non-residents and 69 people listed as unknown. There have been 50 deaths and 220 people have been treated in area hospitals.

Clermont continues to pace Lake County with 1,083 cases – an increase of 16. Others have been identified in Tavares (554), Eustis (361), Groveland (312), Mount Dora (281), Mascotte (151), Minneola (122), Sorrento (112), Umatilla (79), Montverde (78), Grand Island (42), Howey-in-the-Hills (33), Astatula (24), Astor (23), Yalaha (18), Altoona (17), Paisley (13), Okahumpka (11), Ferndale (4) and Mount Plymouth (3).

Sumter County is now reporting 1,045 cases – an increase of 17 in 24 hours. Those are comprised of 560 men, 473 women, seven non-residents and five people listed as unknown. There have been 27 deaths and 152 people hospitalized.

Bushnell is now reporting 202 cases – 128 of which are at the Sumter Correctional Institution among 103 inmates and 25 staff members. Others have been identified in Oxford (69), Lake Panasoffkee (56), Webster (44), Coleman (37), Center Hill (31), Lady Lake portion of the county (23) and Sumterville (17). The federal prison in Coleman also is reporting 399 cases among 320 inmates and 79 staff members.

Marion County added 386 new cases in 24 hours for a total of 4,314 among 1,628 men, 2,654 women, 12 non-residents and 20 people listed as unknown. There have been 55 deaths and 373 people requiring some form of hospital care.

The vast majority of Marion County cases – 3,376 – have been reported in Ocala, which saw an overnight increase of 357. Others have been identified in Dunnellon (132), Silver Springs (51), Citra (49), Reddick (49), Ocklawaha (41), Weirsdale (25), Anthony (23), Fort McCoy (12), Orange Lake (7), Lowell (4), Candler (3), East Lake (3), Sparr (2), Morriston (1) and Salt Springs (1). A total of 660 cases have been reported among inmates (633) and staff members (27) at Lowell Correctional Institution and Marion Correctional Institution.

All told, Florida is reporting 451,423 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 9,446 from Tuesday to Wednesday. Of those, 446,251 are residents. There have been 6,457 deaths and 25,499 people have been hospitalized across the Sunshine State. Those numbers show 217 more deaths since Tuesday and an additional 582 people requiring hospital care.