Florida hits new coronavirus death mark with 156 in one day
Published:Thursday | July 16, 2020 | 1:21 PM
ST PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) — Florida reached another ominous mark Thursday with a record of 156 deaths from the coronavirus reported in a single day as the state continues to experience a swift rise in cases.
The state Department of Health reported 13,965 new coronavirus cases in Florida, bringing the total throughout the pandemic in Florida to nearly 316,000.
In Miami-Dade County, the state’s most populous and the current epicentre of the outbreak, there were more than 3,100 new coronavirus cases reported.
The 156 deaths statewide eclipsed the previous record set Tuesday of 132 reported deaths.
On a seven-day average, Florida is now at over 100 deaths per day — well above previous months.
Hospitalisations also have been surging, filling up ICU units at several hospitals.
Statewide, the number of patients being treated in hospital for the coronavirus was at 8,809 Thursday morning, up from 8,276 at the same time the day before.
Hospitalisations were relatively stable in Miami-Dade County, which was a promising sign for the worst-hit county, but they surged elsewhere including in Tampa’s Hillsborough County, going from 282 to 460 patients in hospital for the coronavirus.
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