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The Villages
Thursday, March 28, 2024

9 more local residents die of COVID-19 as virus slams 2 long-term care facilities

Nine more local residents have succumbed to COVID-19 as the virus continues to sweep through local long-term care facilities, The Villages and surrounding communities.

Six of the latest fatalities were from Lake County and the other two lived in Marion County. They were identified Saturday by the Florida Department of Health as:

  • 81-year-old Lake County woman who tested positive June 19 and had been in contact with another patient recently;
  • 55-year-old Lake County woman who tested positive July 2;
  • 85-year-old Lake County man who tested positive July 18;
  • 59-year-old Lake County man who tested positive July 22;
  • 67-year-old Lake County man who tested positive July 24;
  • 66-year-old Lake County man who tested positive July 30;
  • 70-year-old Marion County man who tested positive July 18, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient;
  • 81-year-old Marion County man who tested positive July 22, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient; and
  • 94-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive July 29, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient.

Seventeen new COVID-19 cases were reported Sunday at two Villages-area long-term care facilities that clearly have been struggling with the virus. Those include:

  • Lady Lake Specialty Care, 630 Griffin Ave. (eight more residents, one additional resident who transferred out of the facility and one more employee); and
  • Cypress Care Center, 490 S. Old Wire Rd. in Wildwood (one additional resident and six additional residents who transferred out).

Fifty-three new cases also were reported in The Villages and surrounding communities, bringing the total in the local area to 2,266. Those include:

  • The Villages up four for a total of 452;
  • Summerfield up 13 for a total of 260;
  • Leesburg up 12 for a total of 762;
  • Belleview up eight for a total of 220;
  • Wildwood up seven for a total of 207;
  • Fruitland Park up four for a total of 98;
  • Oxford up three for a total of 81; and
  • Lady Lake up two for a total of 186.

Overall, the tri-county area is reporting 12,617 cases – an increase of 197 from Friday to Saturday – among 5,453 men, 6,984 women, 51 non-residents and 129 people listed as unknown. There have been 197 deaths and 933 people hospitalized.

Sumter County is now reporting 1,284 cases – an increase of 47 in a 24-hour period – among 653 men, 619 women, eight non-residents and four people listed as unknown. There have been 41 deaths and 176 people have been treated in area hospitals.

Bushnell has 231 cases – 129 of which are at the Sumter Correctional Institution among 103 inmates and 26 staff members. Others have been identified in Coleman (69), Lake Panasoffkee (66), Webster (63), Center Hill (36), Lady Lake portion of the county (27) and Sumterville (27). The federal prison in Coleman also is reporting 360 cases among 270 inmates and 90 staff members.

Marion County continues to lead the tri-county area with 6,260 cases – an increase of 276 in 24 hours. Those are comprised of 2,420 men, 3,794 women, 13 non-residents and 33 people listed as unknown. There have been 89 deaths and 484 people hospitalized.

Ocala continues to pace Marion County with 4,941 cases – an increase of 178 overnight and 79 percent of all the cases reported in the county. Others have been identified in Dunnellon (187), Citra (132), Reddick (75), Silver Springs (74), Ocklawaha (64), Weirsdale (34), Anthony (34), Fort McCoy (17), Orange Lake (8), Lowell (5), Sparr (5), Candler (3), East Lake (3), Morriston (2), Fairfield (2), Salt Springs (1), Williston (1) and McIntosh (1). A total of 1,217 cases have been reported among inmates (1,158) and staff members (59) at Lowell Correctional Institution and Marion Correctional Institution.

Lake County has 5,023 cases – an increase of 115 in 24 hours – among 2,380 men, 2,571 women, 30 non-residents and 92 people listed as unknown. There have been 67 deaths and 273 people requiring some form of hospital care.

Clermont continues to lead Lake Couty with 1,322 cases – an overnight increase of 50. Others have been identified in Tavares (607), Eustis (424), Groveland (366), Mount Dora (336), Mascotte (175), Minneola (143), Sorrento (131), Umatilla (94), Montverde (80), Grand Island (50), Howey-in-the-Hills (34), Astatula (34), Yalaha (25), Astor (23), Altoona (20), Paisley (17), Okahumpka (12), Ferndale (5) and Mount Plymouth (3).

All told, Florida is reporting 526,577 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 8,502 from Friday to Saturday. Of those, 520,086 are residents. There have been 8,238 deaths and 30,251 people have been hospitalized across the Sunshine State. Those numbers show 187 more deaths since Friday and an additional 521 people requiring hospital care.

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