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The Villages
Thursday, May 2, 2024

COVID-19 cases spiking across Florida as virus hits Villages Charter School again

Florida added 6,762 new COVID-19 cases and 78 more fatalities on Thursday as the deadly virus reared its head again at The Villages Charter School.

The tri-county area is now reporting 1,823 deaths – 942 in Marion County, 615 in Lake County and 266 in Sumter County. They are among the 34,907 fatalities in Florida and the 564,715 across the country, statistics from the Florida Department of Health and Johns Hopkins University show.

Another case of the potentially deadly COVID-19 virus was reported Monday at The Villages Charter School, bringing the total number of positive results identified at the facility among students since classes started in August 2020 to 94. That number also represents 40.9 percent of the 230 cases reported among students in all Sumter County public schools.

All told, Florida is reporting 2,148,448 COVID-19 cases. Of those, 2,108,030 are residents. A total of 83,773 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 31,920 in correctional facilities. Across the state 87,742 people have been hospitalized.

Locally, 16,126 COVID-19 cases have been reported in and around The Villages since the pandemic hit Florida. Those include:

  • The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties) 4,564
  • Leesburg 4,231;
  • Summerfield 1,864;
  • Lady Lake 1,651;
  • Belleview up 1,312;
  • Wildwood 1,049;
  • Fruitland Park 798;
  • Oxford up 516; and
  • Lady Lake portion of Sumter County up 143.

Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:

TRI-COUNTY AREA

  • Cases: 66,862
  • Hospitalizations: 4,094

SUMTER COUNTY

  • Cases: 9,048
  • Hospitalizations: 566
  • Vaccinations: 79,909 (62,426 both doses)
  • Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (4,199), Wildwood (1,049), Bushnell (988), Coleman (851) and Oxford (516).

LAKE COUNTY

  • Cases: 28,022
  • Hospitalizations: 1,472
  • Vaccinations: 148,428 (95,488 both doses)
  • Cities with most cases: Clermont (7,445), Leesburg (4,231), Eustis (2,453), Mount Dora (2,075) and Tavares (1,958). The Villages also is reporting 182 cases.

MARION COUNTY

  • Cases: 29,792
  • Hospitalizations: 2,056
  • Vaccinations: 119,162 (79,071 both doses)
  • Cities with most cases: Ocala (21,786), Summerfield (1,864), Dunnellon (1,369), Belleview (1,312) and Silver Springs (647). The Villages also is reporting 183 cases.

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