Thirty-six more local residents have succumbed to COVID-19 as the potentially deadly virus struck The Villages Charter School again.
All of the latest local fatalities were residents of Lake County. It’s unclear from the daily Florida Department of Health report if all of the victims died in the past day, since reporting of deaths and cases by the agency sometimes tend to lag for several days.
The latest deaths bring the total number in the tri-county area to 1,184. They also are among the 26,685 fatalities in Florida and the 435,452 across the country.
Four new COVID-19 cases were reported at The Villages Charter School this past week – two on Monday and another two on Wednesday. The brings the total number of cases to 55 at facility that largely educates children of the Developer’s family, Villages employees and those who work in various businesses in the mega-retirement community. That number, which includes COVID-19 cases reported since school started in August, also represents 45 percent of the 122 cases reported in all Sumter County public schools.
All told, Florida is reporting 1,698,570 cases – an increase of 10,976 from Thursday to Friday. Of those, 1,667,442 are residents. A total of 75,856 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 29,099 in correctional facilities. Across the state, 71,864 people have been hospitalized.
Locally, a total of 110 new COVID-19 cases were reported Friday in and around The Villages. Those include:
- The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties) up 38 for a total of 3,558;
- Leesburg up 29 for a total of 3,394;
- Summerfield up 10 for a total of 1,516;
- Lady Lake up 9 for a total of 1,253;
- Fruitland Park up 9 for a total of 578;
- Belleview up 6 for a total of 1,031;
- Wildwood up 4 for a total of 832; and
- Oxford up 5 for a total of 399.
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 52,686 – increase of 398
- Deaths: 1,184
- Hospitalizations: 3,106
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 6,997 – increase of 64
- Deaths: 186
- Hospitalizations: 439
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (3,234), Wildwood (832), Coleman (815), Bushnell (766) and Oxford (399).
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 21,511 – increase of 168
- Deaths: 424
- Hospitalizations: 1,126
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (5,674), Leesburg (3,394), Eustis (1,937), Mount Dora (1,673) and Tavares (1,562). The Villages also is reporting 148 cases.
MARION COUNTY
- Cases: 24,178 – increase of 166
- Deaths: 574
- Hospitalizations: 1,541
- Cities with most cases: Ocala (17,928), Summerfield (1,516), Dunnellon (1,061), Belleview (1,031) and Silver Springs (442). The Villages also is reporting 176 cases.
