ORLANDO, Fla. – On Saturday the Florida Department of Health announced 3,573 new cases of the coronavirus in the state.
The new cases of the respiratory illness bring the state total to 681,233 since the pandemic was first detected in March.
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The FDOH reported 62 new deaths Saturday, bringing the state’s death toll from the pandemic to 13,449. Florida’s death total is comprised of 13,287 residents and 162 non-residents who died in the state from the virus.
Recent deaths from COVID-19 across Central Florida made up 8 out of the 62 new fatalities reported across the state.
Data from COVID-19 related deaths is often delayed and new deaths can take up to two weeks to report, according to health officials.
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According to the Agency for Health Care Administration, as of Saturday morning, there were a total of 2,273 patients hospitalized statewide with COVID-19 compared to the same time 24 hours ago.
The DOH reported 140 new hospitalized patients Saturday, bringing the state total to 42,374 for people who have been in the hospital at some point during the last six months due to the virus.
Florida’s positivity rate -- the number of new cases compared to overall tests --- was 4.53% on Friday.
[SEE FRIDAY’S REPORT: Florida reports more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases, 140 new deaths]
Here are two things to know about the virus for Sept. 19. Click on the blue headline to read more about the story:
- Open for business: Bars are open in Florida for the first full weekend in months. Orange County said on Friday the Strike Team is relying on state inspections with the Department of Business and Professional Regulations to inspect the bars. The county said their inspectors have been busy visiting roughly 65-70 other types of businesses a day.
- Switch your child’s learning preference: Parents of students in two of Central Florida’s largest school districts have until Friday to decide whether they want to switch their child’s learning preference for the second nine weeks of the academic calendar. Both Orange and Osceola public schools are giving parents the opportunity to switch from face-to-face to digital to LaunchEd for the second nine weeks of the semester, which, for their districts, begin in the second month of August. To find out how to switch learning preference, click or tap here.
To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.