On the day when Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order for all Floridians, the number of COVID-19 cases in Marion County rose to 30.
Twenty-nine of those patients are residents and one is a non-resident who recently traveled to New York. Eighteen of those with positive tests are women, 12 are men and three remain hospitalized.
Four are residents of Summerfield but it isn’t clear if they live in The Villages or the surrounding retirement communities of Del Webb Spruce Creek, Stonecrest or Spruce Creek South. Others live in Ocala (19), Belleview (2), Ocklawaha (1) and Dunnellon (1).
All told, 158 people had been identified in the tri-county area with the COVID-19 virus. Eighty of those are women, 74 are men and four are listed as unknown. They all have tested positive since March 13 when the first tri-county Coronavirus patient was identified as a woman living in the Lady Lake Mobile Home Park who had traveled to New York and other destinations in the Sunshine State.
In Sumter County, 57 positive cases of COVID-19 have been identified. Those patients – 27 men and 26 women – range in age from 18 to 92 and 16 of them remain hospitalized. In addition to The Villages, those residents live in Lake Panasoffkee (9), Wildwood (5), Bushnell (3) and Webster (2).
Lake County is reporting 71 patients with the virus, seven of whom are non-residents. They are comprised of 36 women and 35 men and their ages range from 18 to 85. As of Wednesday night, 14 remained hospitalized.
Besides the five who live in The Villages and two in Lady Lake, other Lake County patients reside in Clermont (19), Leesburg (12), Tavares (6), Eustis (5), Mascotte (4), Groveland (4), Mount Dora (2), Minneola (2), Sorrento (2) and Okahumpka (1).
As of Wednesday, 2,707 people had been tested in the tri-county area, with UF Health claiming to have tested 2,280 people who apparently aren’t included in that number. State health department statistics show that 2,545 tested negative and four were inconclusive, with 2,255 also coming up negative in the UF Health testing, which largely targeted research on area residents who were showing no symptoms.
Statewide, 7,773 people have tested positive for the virus – 7,496 of whom are residents. There have been 101 deaths and 990 people are hospitalized.
The governor’s latest executive order takes effect Friday at 12:01 a.m. and will last until April 30. Floridians are being told to stay at home unless they are involved in activities or providing services that have been deemed as “essential.”
Some of those approved activities include purchasing groceries and medications; attending religious services; participating in recreational activities – consistent with social distancing guidelines – such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, running, or swimming; taking care of pets and caring for and/or assisting a loved one or friend.
Social gatherings in public places aren’t considered essential activities. Local governments are tasked with making sure groups of 10 or more don’t congregate in those public places.
Non-essential businesses are allowed to stay open but groups can’t congregate in them. They are instead encouraged to provide delivery or takeout services. Floridians also are encouraged to work from home if possible.