The number of COVID-19 cases among juveniles in the tri-county area is continuing to increase.
Statistics provided by the Florida Department of Health on Friday showed that 78 children under the age of 18 had tested positive for the potentially deadly virus by June 26. Those represent a little less than 3 percent of the overall 2,821 cases that have been reported in Sumter, Lake and Marion Counties. But it also shows an increase of 312 juvenile patients in about a week’s time.
So far, 49 minors in Lake County have tested positive, while 24 have been identified in Marion County and just five cases have been reported in Sumter County. A total of 1,169 juveniles have been tested in the tri-county area.
Across Florida, there have been 7,197 positive results among the 42,287 minors who have been tested. That amounts to a positivity rate of 17 percent across the state, which compares to 6.7 percent locally.
There have been two deaths among children in the Sunshine State – those were in the 15-17 age bracket – and 155 have been hospitalized. The breakdown by age of those minors reported with COVID-19 is:
- Under 1 years old – 456 cases;
- 1-4 years old – 1,250 cases;
- 5-9 years old – 1,591 cases;
- 10-14 years old – 1,965 cases; and
- 15-17 years old – 1,935 cases.