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Ocala
Friday, March 29, 2024

8 more local COVID-19 deaths as cases rise and vaccinations among Floridians near 2.5 million

On the day when the number of new COVID-19 cases continued to climb and Florida neared 2.5 million vaccinations among Sunshine State residents, eight more local deaths were connected to the fast-spreading virus.

All eight of the latest fatalities were residents of Marion County. They are among the 1,449 deaths in the tri-county area, the 29,824 in Florida and the 489,933 across the country.

On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Health reported that 2,487,055 Floridians had received COVID-19 vaccines. Of those, 1,305,889 have received the first dose and 1,181,166 have received the second shot.

All told, Florida is reporting 1,844,627 cases – an increase of 7,342 from Tuesday to Wednesday. Of those, 1,811,078 are residents. A total of 79,991 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 30,569 in correctional facilities. Across the state, there have been 29,824 deaths and 76,825 people have been hospitalized.

Locally, Marion County is reporting 26,616 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 70 in a 24-hour period. There have been 700 deaths and 1,647 people have been hospitalized.

Ocala continues to pace Marion County with 19,604 cases – an overnight increase of 44. Others have been identified in Summerfield (1,677), Dunnellon (1,205), Belleview (1,129), Silver Springs (533), Citra (449), Ocklawaha (410), Reddick (273), Fort McCoy (260), Anthony (250), Weirsdale (210), The Villages (176), Salt Springs (47), Flemington (34), McIntosh (27), Sparr (21), Orange Lake (21), Lowell (18), Candler (17), East Lake (9), Fairfield (8), Orange Springs (7) and Morriston (5).

Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:

TRI-COUNTY AREA

  • Cases: 57,939 – increase of 172
  • Deaths: 1,449
  • Hospitalizations: 3,368

SUMTER COUNTY

  • Cases: 7,668 – increase of 34
  • Deaths: 224
  • Hospitalizations: 485
  • Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (3,587), Wildwood (918), Bushnell (838), Coleman (822) and Oxford (438).

LAKE COUNTY

  • Cases: 23,655 – increase of 68
  • Deaths: 525
  • Hospitalizations: 1,236
  • Cities with most cases: Clermont (6,194), Leesburg (3,701), Eustis (2,102), Mount Dora (1,808) and Tavares (1,740).