Nine more local residents have died of COVID-19 as the number of new cases spiked across the state and the virus reared its head again at The Villages Charter School.
Six of the latest fatalities were residents of Lake County and the other three lived in Marion County. They are among the 1,610 tri-county area deaths, the 31,696 across the state and the 515,985 across the country.
Four more students at The Villages Charter School have tested positive for COVID-19 this week – two on Monday and two on Tuesday. That brings the total number of cases among charter school students to 78 since classes started in August 2020. That number represents 45 percent of the 173 cases reported in all Sumter County public schools.
All told, Florida is reporting 1,918,100 cases – an increase of 7,179 from Monday to Tuesday. Of those, 1,882,865 are residents. A total of 81,279 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 31,022 in correctional facilities. Across the state, 79,731 people have been hospitalized.
Locally, 69 new COVID-19 cases were reported Tuesday in and around The Villages. Those include:
- The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties) up 33 for a total of 4,186;
- Leesburg up 11 for a total of 3,831;
- Wildwood up 7 for a total of 945;
- Lady Lake up 7 for a total of 1,477;
- Summerfield up 4 for a total of 1,742;
- Oxford up 3 for a total of 458;
- Belleview up 3 for a total of 1,194; and
- Fruitland Park up 1 for a total of 674.
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 60,565 – increase of 246
- Deaths: 1,610
- Hospitalizations: 3,552
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 8,071 – increase of 50
- Deaths: 238
- Hospitalizations: 510
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (3,839), Wildwood (945), Bushnell (854), Coleman (829) and Oxford (458).
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 24,744 – increase of 109
- Deaths: 566
- Hospitalizations: 1,292
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (6,473), Leesburg (3,831), Eustis (2,191), Mount Dora (1,871) and Tavares (1,802). The Villages also is reporting 168 cases.
MARION COUNTY
- Cases: 27,750 – increase of 87
- Deaths: 806
- Hospitalizations: 1,750
- Cities with most cases: Ocala (20,387), Summerfield (1,742), Dunnellon (1,257), Belleview (1,194) and Silver Springs (576). The Villages also is reporting 179 cases.