By the Numbers

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, there are 605,502 total cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Florida, an increase of 2,673 since FDOH’s last update Tuesday morning, the third lowest daily increase in new cases in the last two weeks.

More than 43,500 test results were reported to the Department of Health on Monday, Aug. 24. Of those reported tests, 7.49 percent tested positive; the highest since Aug. 18.

The state saw its highest daily percentage of positive patients July 8, when 18.50 percent of tests reported were positive among 51,686 tests. The overall percent positivity since the beginning of the pandemic in Florida residents is 13.55.

The death toll increased by 183 from Monday’s update, reported among Lee, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Dade, Duval, Escambia, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Leon, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Suwannee and Volusia counties.

This does not mean all of the deaths occurred or were reported by local health care facilities on that day but that they were released in the state report that day after reports were processed.

A total of 4,473,343 individuals have been tested: 3,861,022 have tested negative, 6,819 tests were inconclusive and 3,555 tests are pending results. Of those testing positive, 37,038 Florida residents have been hospitalized at some point during their illness according to the state. There have been 10,717 deaths.

The age groups of Florida residents that have yielded the most positive test results are 25-34 years old (19%), followed by 35-44 (16%), 45-54 (16%) and 15-24 (15%).

The highest hospitalization rates are found in patients 65-74 (19%), 75-84 (18%) and 55-64 (18%) years old.

In Lee County, 18,170 (+74) individuals have tested positive as of 11 a.m. Tuesday; 7,369 in Fort Myers (+39), 4,190 in Cape Coral (+21), 3,620 in Lehigh Acres (+11), 1,182 in Bonita Springs (+6), 682 in North Fort Myers (+1), 425 in Estero (+0), 111 in Alva (+0), 80 on Fort Myers Beach (+0), 41 in Sanibel (+0), 44 in Bokeelia (+0), 27 in St. James City (+0), 16 in Tice (+0), 17 on Matlacha (+0), five in Boca Grande (+0), four in Buckingham (+0), four in South Fort Myers (+0), three on Captiva (+0), three in Miromar Lakes (+0), two in San Carlos Park (+0), one in Bonita Beach (+1) and one in Immokalee (+0); 21 cases were not identified by community.

Positive COVID-19 cases in the county have ranged from infants to a 101-year-old. Lee County saw its first two cases on March 7, when a man and a woman, each 77, tested positive. They had traveled to the Dominican Republic.

There have been 406 (+4) deaths in Lee County; 217 (+1) of those deaths were reported in residents or staff of long-term care facilities.

As of Tuesday, Lee Health had 126 COVID-19 patients isolated in system inpatient hospitals, including 16 new admissions and 17 discharges on Monday.

A total of 2,426 patients who had tested positive have been discharged since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Monday, Lee Health had a 15.3% positivity rate on COVID-19 tests processed through Lee Health labs. This represents Lee Health results only, not Lee County as a whole. Hospital positivity rates tend to be higher as the tests are performed on patients seeking treatment for a health issue, not the general public that includes asymptomatic individuals.

Census as of Tuesday was at 82 (+5)% of staffed operational bed capacity, with 10.9 (-.5)% of those being COVID-19 patients. Staffed operational capacity reflects the number of beds for which the hospital has adequate staffing, not the total number of beds within Lee Health hospitals. Overall bed capacity fluctuates hour to hour as the system discharges patients throughout the day who are ready to go home.

As of Tuesday, 70 (-4)% of ventilators and 26 (-5)% of ICU rooms are available for use across Lee Health facilities.

As of Tuesday, there were 15 (+3) COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 21 (+0) in the intensive care unit.

COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral disease. For most individuals, symptoms are mild. For a minority, the disease becomes a type of viral pneumonia with severe complications. Especially at risk are those who are older, those with underlying health conditions and the immune-compromised.

Officials strongly urge all members of the public who are at risk to remain at home so as to limit exposure. All others are urged to observe social distancing and to wear a mask for all public interactions.

For more detail on Florida resident cases, visit the live DOH Dashboard.

To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, visit the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control, visit the CDC COVID-19 website. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, visit the travel advisory website.

For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.