Florida Coronavirus Deaths Hit Record-High 1,230 In One Week

KEY POINTS

Florida saw a surge in deaths over the past week, setting a new record at 1,230
The state reported a record-breaking 257 deaths Friday, the most in a single day
New figures suggest Florida finally may be flattening the curve on new cases

Florida's COVID-19 fatality toll continues to surge, with weekly deaths setting another dismal record. The state reported 1,230 deaths July 26-Aug. 2 -- the most in a single week.

Florida, which became the national coronavirus epicenter in mid-June until displaced by California last week, shattered its previous weekly fatality record of 872 set July 19-26.

Florida authorities said there were a record-breaking 257 deaths statewide Friday, the largest single-day death toll to date. The previous high for daily deaths was 143 on July 17.

On Sunday, Florida recorded 62 more deaths, bringing its total fatalities to 7,206 since the start of the pandemic in January. Of this total, 122 were non-Florida residents.

The death toll stood at an average of 100 deaths per day July 7-26. Ages 25-44 were responsible for 35% of all cases, while ages 45 and older accounted for 96% of all deaths.

There was some positive news for Florida, however. The number of deaths reported Sunday was the lowest in nearly three weeks at 62, bringing the total to at least 7,084. The state reported another 7,104 positive cases Sunday – down from 9,619 the previous day – for a cumulative tally of 487,132.

New cases as of Sunday came to 63,277 with 3,086 hospitalizations. A total of 27,150 persons have been hospitalized throughout the state. Florida reported 73,808 new cases, 3,093 hospitalizations and 872 deaths from July 19-26

New cases seem to be leveling off statewide. Florida reported 7,104 new cases for the past week compared to the 10,000 cases per day recorded earlier in July. Florida’s largest single-day for new cases occurred July 12 at 15,300.

Florida health experts said the increase in deaths was expected since fatalities serve as a lagging indicator behind a surge in positive cases.

The Florida Department of Health said the positivity rate stood as 9.28% on Aug. 1 -- the 15th consecutive day the statewide rate came in under 15%. A positivity rate of 5%, however, is number experts say is needed to quell the community spread of the disease.