COVID-19 has claimed the lives of five more tri-county residents as the virus continues to strike area long-term care facilities and sweep across the local area.
One of the latest victims was from Lake County and the other four lived in Marion County. They were identified Thursday by the Florida Department of Health as:
- 77-year-old Lake County man who tested positive Aug. 11, hadn’t traveled but had been in contact with another COVID-19 patient;
- 88-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive July 31, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient;
- 69-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive Aug. 5, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient;
- 69-year-old Marion County man who tested positive Aug. 6, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient; and
- 99-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive Aug. 11, hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with another patient.
COVID-19 also continues to wreak havoc on Villages-area long-term care facilities with seven additional cases. The latest facilities to see an increase in COVID-19 include:
- Freedom Pointe Place Assisted Living and Memory Care, 1550 El Camino Real in The Villages (one additional employee for a total of two);
- Freedom Pointe Health Center, 1460 El Camino Real in The Villages (three employees);
- Lady Lake Specialty Care, 630 Griffin Ave. (one additional resident for a total of 54 cases among 21 residents, 25 residents who transferred out of the facility and eight employees);
- Generations Senior Living at the Fairways, 5268 County Road 125 in Wildwood (one additional employee for a total of two); and
- Cypress Care Center, 490 S. Old Wire Rd. in Wildwood (one additional resident for a total of 10 cases among two residents and eight who transferred out of the facility).
Thirty-three new cases were reported Thursday in and around The Villages. Those include:
- The Villages up four for a total of 464;
- Belleview up 11 for a total of 244;
- Leesburg up seven for a total of 807;
- Summerfield up five for a total of 276;
- Lady Lake up two for a total of 190;
- Fruitland Park up two for a total of 105;
- Wildwood up one for a total of 232; and
- Lady Lake portion of Sumter County up one for a total of 28.
Overall the tri-county area is reporting 13,722 cases – an increase of 250 from Wednesday to Thursday – among 5,937 men, 7,583 women, 55 non-residents and 147 people listed as unknown. There have been 227 deaths and 1,034 people hospitalized.
Sumter County is now reporting 1,410 cases – an increase of eight in 24-hours – among 706 men, 692 women, eight non-residents and four people listed as unknown. There have been 44 deaths and 185 people requiring some form of hospital care.
Bushnell is reporting 243 cases – 131 of which are at the Sumter Correctional Institution among 103 inmates and 28 staff members. Others have been identified in Coleman (121), Oxford (84), Webster (71), Lake Panasoffkee (68), Center Hill (38) and Sumterville (29). The federal prison in Coleman also is reporting 329 cases among 235 inmates and 94 staff members.
Lake County is reporting 5,391 cases – an increase of 100 in 24 hours. Those are comprised of 2,521 men, 2,739 women, 33 non-residents and 98 people listed as unknown. There have been 75 deaths and 306 people hospitalized.
Clermont continues to lead Lake County with 1,394 cases – an increase of 16 overnight. Others have been identified in Tavares (641), Eustis (446), Mount Dora (390), Groveland (378), Mascotte (184), Minneola (151), Sorrento (132), Umatilla (108), Montverde (83), Grand Island (56), Astatula (40), Howey-in-the-Hills (34), Yalaha (25), Astor (24), Paisley (22), Altoona (20), Okahumpka (14), Ferndale (5) and Mount Plymouth (3).
Marion County added 123 cases overnight for a total of 6,921. Those are divided among 2,710 men, 4,152 women, 14 non-residents and 45 people listed as unknown. There have been 108 deaths and 543 people treated in area hospitals.
The overwhelming majority of Marion County cases – 5,502 – have been reported in Ocala. Others have been identified in Dunnellon (210), Citra (138), Silver Springs (80), Ocklawaha (70), Reddick (65), Anthony (40), Weirsdale (36), Fort McCoy (19), Flemington (15), Orange Lake (8), Sparr (5), Lowell (4), Candler (3), East Lake (3), Fairfield (2), McIntosh (2), Morriston (1), Salt Springs (1), Orange Springs (1) and Williston (1). A total of 1,356 cases have been reported among inmates (1,281) and staff members (75) at Lowell Correctional Institution and Marion Correctional Institution.
All told, Florida is reporting 557,137 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 6,236 from Wednesday to Thursday. Of those, 551,232 are residents. There have been 9,046 deaths and 32,537 people have been hospitalized across the Sunshine State. Those numbers show 149 more deaths since Wednesday and an additional 590 people requiring hospital care.
