On the day when five more local residents lost their battle with COVID-19, the chief medical officer of The Villages Health reported a sharp increase in the positivity rate among those tested at the Developer-owned medical clinics.
Dr. Jeffrey Lowenkron, in an email to Villages Health patients, reported an increase of 22 percent in the number of positive cases identified at his facilities. He also reported an increase in COVID-19 cases among Villages Health staff members who are administering tests and said many area residents are returning for tests when they know they still have the virus.
“This is unfortunate as it increases the risk for those who are doing testing and anyone else those who are doing testing may contact,” he said, while not providing specific numbers of cases. “Today, there is no role for retesting patients who test positive. These patients should complete their quarantine and seek to limit exposing others, especially in this community where so many are at risk.”
Lowenkron also reported that 139 patients were battling COVID-19 at UF Health The Villages Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital. He said 29 of those patients are in intensive care and 10 are on ventilators.
Four of the latest local fatalities were Marion County residents and the fifth one lived in Lake County. They are among the 965 deaths in the tri-county area, the 23,424 in Florida and the 375,373 across the country.
Meanwhile, a total of 82 new COVID-19 cases were reported Monday in and around The Villages. Those include:
- The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties) up 32 for a total of 2,853;
- Leesburg up 32 for a total of 2,939;
- Summerfield up 9 for a total of 1,265;
- Wildwood up 4 for a total of 755;
- Oxford up 3 for a total of 358;
- Lady Lake up 1 for a total of 1,043; and
- Lady Lake portion of Sumter County up 1 for a total of 90;
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 44,865 – increase of 380
- Deaths: 965
- Hospitalizations: 2,850
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 6,029 – increase of 54
- Deaths: 122
- Hospitalizations: 399
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (2,674), Coleman (781), Wildwood (755), Bushnell (643) and Oxford (358).
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 18,142 – increase of 169
- Deaths: 335
- Hospitalizations: 1,042
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (4,755), Leesburg (2,930), Eustis (1,565), Mount Dora (1,372) and Tavares (1,342). The Villages also is reporting 118 cases.
MARION COUNTY
- Cases: 20,694 – increase of 157
- Deaths: 508
- Hospitalizations: 1,409
- Cities with most cases: Ocala (15,298), Summerfield (1,265), Dunnellon (927), Belleview (845) and Citra (365). The Villages also is reporting 61 cases.
All told, Florida is reporting 1,488,586 cases – an increase of 11,576 from Sunday to Monday. Of those, 1,461,958 are residents. A total of 68,688 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 27,852 in correctional facilities. Across the state, 65,796 people have been hospitalized.
