Two more local residents have lost their battle with COVID-19 as Florida saw another day of significant increases in new cases of the virus and the tri-county area hit another milestone by surpassing 66,000 cumulative cases of the potentially deadly illness.
One of the latest fatalities was a resident of Sumter County – where the vast majority of Villages homes are located – and the other one was in Lake Couty. They are among the 1,821 tri-county area deaths, the 34,676 in Florida and the 561,074 across the country, according to the Florida Department of Health and Johns Hopkins University.
All told, Florida is reporting 2,118,713 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 6,906 from Friday to Saturday. Of those, 2,078,784 are residents. A total of 83,558 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 31,799 in correctional facilities. Across the state, there have been 34,676 deaths and 86,894 people have been hospitalized.
Locally, 40 new COVID-19 cases were reported Saturday in and around The Villages. Those include:
- The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties) up 8 for a total of 4,542;
- Leesburg up 19 for a total of 4,172;
- Summerfield up 7 for a total of 1,848;
- Lady Lake up 3 for a total of 1,640;
- Wildwood up 1 for a total of 1,040;
- Fruitland Park up 1 for a total of 773; and
- Lady Lake portion of Sumter County up 1 for a total of 140.
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 66,083 – increase of 173
- Deaths: 1,821
- Hospitalizations: 4,040
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 8,971 – increase of 15
- Deaths: 264
- Hospitalizations: 563
- Vaccinations: 77,990 (59,861 both doses)
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (4,176), Wildwood (1,040), Bushnell (973), Coleman (849) and Oxford (512).
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 27,557 – increase of 110
- Deaths: 620
- Hospitalizations: 1,453
- Vaccinations: 138,724 (87,308 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (7,276), Leesburg (4,172), Eustis (2,427), Mount Dora (2,048) and Tavares (1,935). The Villages also is reporting 183 cases.
MARION COUNTY
- Cases: 29,555 – increase of 48
- Deaths: 937
- Hospitalizations: 2,024
- Vaccinations: 110,592 (74,219 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Ocala (21,621), Summerfield (1,848), Dunnellon (1,357), Belleview (1,296) and Silver Springs (640). The Villages also is reporting 183 cases.
