Eight more local residents have succumbed to COVID-19 as the tri-county area surpassed 65,000 cumulative cases and the virus reared its head at The Villages Charter School again.
Four of the latest fatalities were residents of Sumter County, where the vast majority of Villages homes are located. Three lived in the Marion County and the other was a resident of Lake County. They are among the 1,797 tri-county area deaths, the 34,306 in Florida and the 554,717 across the country, statistics from the Florida Department of Health and Johns Hopkins University show.
Two more COVID-19 cases among students were identified Thursday at The Villages Charter School. That brings the total number at the facility that largely educates children of the Developer’s family, Villages employees and those who work in various businesses in the mega-retirement community to 92 since classes started in August 2020. That number also represents 42.4 percent of the 217 cases reported among all students in Sumter County public schools.
All told, Florida is reporting 2,077,032 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 5,927 from Friday to Saturday. Of those, 2,038,204 are residents. A total of 83,161 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 31,674 in correctional facilities. Across the state, there have been 34,306 deaths and 85,678 people have been hospitalized.
Locally, 32 new COVID-19 cases were reported Saturday in and around The Villages. Those include:
- The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties) up 10 for a total of 4,509;
- Leesburg up 7 for a total of 4,092;
- Summerfield up 6 for a total of 1,827;
- Lady Lake up 3 for a total of 1,610;
- Fruitland Park up 2 for a total of 758;
- Belleview up 2 for a total of 1,277;
- Wildwood up 1 for a total of 1,022; and
- Oxford up 1 for a total of 507.
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 65,001 – increase of 143
- Deaths: 1,797
- Hospitalizations: 3,963
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 8,852 – increase of 25
- Deaths: 261
- Hospitalizations: 559
- Vaccinations: 75,651 (53,844 both doses)
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (4,149), Wildwood (1,022), Bushnell (954), Coleman (843) and Oxford (507).
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 26,924 – increase of 62
- Deaths: 610
- Hospitalizations: 1,421
- Vaccinations: 125,388 (76,723 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (7,084), Leesburg (4,092), Eustis (2,368), Mount Dora (2,013) and Tavares (1,900). The Villages also is reporting 177 cases.
MARION COUNTY
- Cases: 29,225 – increase of 56
- Deaths: 926
- Hospitalizations: 1,983
- Vaccinations: 100,777 (63,833 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Ocala (21,395), Summerfield (1,827), Dunnellon (1,340), Belleview (1,277) and Silver Springs (631). The Villages also is 183 cases.
