Seven more local residents have succumbed to COVID-19 as the tri-county area neared 70,000 cumulative cases of the virus since March 2020 when the pandemic first hit the Sunshine State.
Five of the latest local fatalities were in Lake County and the other two were in Marion County. They are among the 1,867 tri-county area deaths, the 36,184 in Florida and the 579,125 across the country, statistics from the Florida Department of Health and Johns Hopkins University show.
All told, Florida is reporting 2,253,929 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 4,394 from Tuesday to Wednesday. Of those, 2,211,728 are residents. A total of 84,954 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 32,457 in correctional facilities. Across the state, 91,425 people have been hospitalized.
Locally, 23 new COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday in and around The Villages. Those include:
- The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties) up 1 for a total of 4,627;
- Leesburg up 12 for a total of 4,435;
- Belleview up 4 for a total of 1,370;
- Summerfield up 3 for a total of 1,924;
- Wildwood up 1 for a total of 1,089;
- Lady Lake up 1 for a total of 1,709; and
- Lady Lake portion of Sumter County up 1 for a total of 145.
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 69,957 – increase of 131
- Deaths: 1,867
- Hospitalizations: 4,277
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 9,312 – increase of 5
- Deaths: 275
- Hospitalizations: 578
- Vaccinations: 83,876 (71,342 both doses)
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (4,258), Wildwood (1,089), Bushnell (1,035), Coleman (852) and Oxford (541).
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 29,593 – increase of 67
- Deaths: 632
- Hospitalizations: 1,530
- Vaccinations: 167,320 (131,544 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (7,934), Leesburg (4,435), Eustis (2,591), Mount Dora (2,158) and Tavares (2,039). The Villages also is reporting 186 cases.
MARION COUNTY
- Cases: 31,052 – increase of 59
- Deaths: 960
- Hospitalizations: 2,169
- Vaccinations: 135,017 (103,900 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Ocala (22,705), Summerfield (1,924), Dunnellon (1,438), Belleview (1,370) and Silver Springs (685). The Villages also is reporting 183 cases.