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Ocala
Friday, March 29, 2024

Two more area residents succumb to COVID-19 as state tops 30,000 cases

Two more tri-county residents lost their battle with the Coronavirus on Friday as Florida topped 30,000 cases of the illness.

The latest victims include a 60-year-old Marion County woman who hadn’t traveled recently but had been in contact with someone else suffering from COVID-19; and an 83-year-old Lake County woman who hadn’t traveled recently nor come in contact with another patient. The cases were identified Thursday and on April 13, respectively.

“We are saddened to share that a member of our community has passed away,” said Florida Department of Health in Marion County Administrator Mark Lander. “Our deepest condolences go out to her family and loved ones.”

That brings the death toll in the tri-county area to 26, with the majority of those – 12 – being in Sumter County. Ten were from Lake County and four from Marion County.
Marion County is now reporting 148 cases. They are comprised of 63 men, 82 women and three non-residents. Twenty have been hospitalized.

Ocala clearly leads the way in Marion County with 108 COVID-19 cases. Others have been identified in Summerfield (17), Citra (6), Belleview (4), Dunnellon (4), Anthony (2), Ocklawaha (2), Silver Springs (1), Reddick (1) and The Villages (1).

It’s unclear if any of the Summerfield patients live in the retirement communities of Del Webb Spruce Creek, Stonecrest or Spruce Creek South, as that specific information isn’t provided by the Florida Department of Health.

Seventy-seven cases have now been identified in The Villages – an increase of just one patient from Thursday to Friday. Of those Villagers, the overwhelming majority – 69 – live in Sumter County. Seven reside in Lake County and one lives in the Marion County portion of the mega-retirement community.

Sumter County is reporting 167 cases of COVID-19, divided among 107 men and 60 women. Thirty-nine residents of the county containing the vast majority of Villages homes have been hospitalized.

Lake County continues to lead the way with 219 cases. They are divided among 102 men, 105 women and 12 non-residents. A total of 57 have required hospital care.

All told, Florida is reporting 30,533 COVID-19 cases, with 29,707 of those patients being residents. There are have been 1,046 deaths and 4,817 people have required hospitalization across the Sunshine State.