Less than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported Monday across Florida but many Sunshine State residents are concerned about a potential outbreak from spring breakers.
High school and college students – the vast majority of whom shunned face coverings – have flocked to Florida’s beaches across the state, with more than 1,000 arrests last week in Miami alone, where city leaders signed an emergency order to shut down businesses at 8 p.m. Many tourist areas like Daytona Beach and Panama City Beach urged the spring break crowd to wear masks and practice social distancing, but no enforceable COVID-19 mandates were in place.
That left many older Floridians holding their breath that outbreaks won’t crop up in the coming days across the state in places where out-of-state visitors have spent time in recent days. That fear is especially true among some of the most vulnerable residents in retirement communities like The Villages, On Top of the World and Plantation at Leesburg, to name a few, where grandchildren and great-grandchildren are visiting from various states and worldwide locations.
All told, Florida is reporting 2,011,211 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 2,862 from Sunday to Monday. Of those, 1,974,051 are residents. A total of 82,510 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 31,407 in correctional facilities. Across the state, there have been 33,408 deaths and 83,503 people have been hospitalized.
Locally, 16 new COVID-19 cases were reported Monday in and around The Villages. Those include:
- The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties) up 6 for a total of 4,397;
- Leesburg up 3 for a total of 3,977;
- Wildwood up 2 for a total of 988;
- Summerfield up 2 for a total of 1,789;
- Oxford up 1 for a total of 487;
- Lady Lake up 1 for a total of 1,578; and
- Belleview up 1 for a total of 1,243.
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 63,173 – increase of 62
- Deaths: 1,742
- Hospitalizations: 3,821
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 8,518 – increase of 17
- Deaths: 243
- Hospitalizations: 538
- Vaccinations: 53,213 (34,148 both doses)
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (4,040), Wildwood (988), Bushnell (906), Coleman (839) and Oxford (487).
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 26,009 – increase of 31
- Deaths: 594
- Hospitalizations: 1,375
- Vaccinations: 102,458 (59,863 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (6,828), Leesburg (3,977), Eustis (2,286), Mount Dora (1,947) and Tavares (1,862). The Villages also is reporting 176 cases.
MARION COUNTY
- Cases: 28,646 – increase of 14
- Deaths: 905
- Hospitalizations: 1,908
- Vaccinations: 82,838 (48,497 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Ocala (20,998), Summerfield (1,789), Dunnellon (1,306), Belleview (1,243) and Silver Springs (609). The Villages also is reporting 181 cases.
