Coronavirus in Florida: COVID-19 cases, locations and updates across the Sunshine State

Florida's number of positive coronavirus cases was 4,992,265 on Friday, January 14, according to the Florida Department of Health (DOH).

The positivity rate in Florida is 29.3%.

Below, we are updating this blog with the latest information regarding COVID-19 in Florida:

→ COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS

POSITIVE CASES IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA:

The DOH provided the following breakdown of the total number of cases in each Tampa Bay county.

CITRUS CASES: 23,731

Percent positive: 24.3%

DESOTO CASES: 7,829

Percent positive: 32.0%

HARDEE CASES: 7,193

Percent positive: 37.7%

HERNANDO CASES: 34,314

Percent positive: 28.9%

HIGHLANDS CASES: 19,443

Percent positive: 30.8%

HILLSBOROUGH CASES: 314,987

Percent positive: 30.1%

MANATEE CASES: 79,682

Percent positive: 27.2%

PASCO CASES: 99,718

Percent positive: 30.8%

PINELLAS CASES: 171,371

Percent positive: 27.5%

POLK CASES: 167,753

Percent positive: 32.6%

SARASOTA CASES: 71,530

Percent positive: 25.9%

POSITIVE CASES IN ALL OTHER FLORIDA COUNTIES:

→ CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: COUNTY-BY-COUNTY INTERACTIVE MAP

FLORIDA DEATH TOLL

As of Friday, January 14, 63,158 Florida residents have died from complications of the novel coronavirus, according to new numbers from the DOH.

FLORIDA RESIDENTS HOSPITALIZED

Since June 3 the number of Florida residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 have not been released by the DOH. On that day, 95,607 residents were reported.

NOTE: The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 refers to the total amount to date, and they may or may not currently be in the hospital, according to the Department of Health.

Officials in Florida have not released information on recovered patients in the state, but the DOH's interactive map lists the number of recovered cases in the U.S. and globally.

→ CORONAVIRUS GLOBAL TRACKER

CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK DECLARED A PANDEMIC

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the ongoing coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic.

Click here to see the latest number of cases worldwide.

CORONAVIRUS 411:

COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when an individual coughs or sneezes. These droplets may land on objects and surfaces. Other people may contract COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

You may have COVID-19 if you have these symptoms or combinations of symptoms:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

• Fever
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have mild illness.

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure. Most people recover from COVID-19 without needing special treatment. The elderly and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.

The Department recommends everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Wearing a face mask or face covering;

• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick;
• Staying home when you are sick and avoiding contact with persons in poor health;
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
• Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then disposing of the tissue;
• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing;
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty; and
• Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.