On the day when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosened COVID-19 travel guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated, five more local residents lost their battle with the deadly virus and Florida reported another spike in new cases.
Three of the latest local fatalities were in Marion County and the other two were in Lake County. They are among the 1,789 tri-county area deaths, the 34,239 in Florida and the 553,691 across the country, statistics from the Florida Department of Health and Johns Hopkins University show.
On Friday, the CDC announced that people who are fully vaccinated against the Coronavirus can travel without putting themselves at serious risk – if they continue to wear masks and follow other safety precautions.
The announcement came after the CDC determined there was a lower risk for travel for those have been vaccinated, but health officials remain concerned and say they aren’t recommending people take trips because the majority of the population across the country hasn’t been vaccinated and cases continue to rise on a daily basis.
All told, Florida is reporting 2,071,105 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 6,580 from Thursday to Friday. Of those, 2,032,387 are residents. A total of 83,109 COVID-19 cases have been reported in long-term care centers and 31,657 in correctional facilities. Across the state, there have been 34,239 deaths and 85,538 people have been hospitalized.
Locally, Marion County is reporting 29,169 COVID-19 cases – an increase of 64 in a 24-hour period. There have been 923 deaths and 1,979 people have been hospitalized.
Ocala continues to pace Marion County with 21,355 cases – an overnight increase of 46. Others have been identified in Summerfield (1,821), Dunnellon (1,337), Belleview (1,275), Silver Springs (628), Citra (482), Ocklawaha (477), Reddick (302), Fort McCoy (300), Anthony (276), Weirsdale (229), The Villages (183), Salt Springs (49), Flemington (34), McIntosh (30), Orange Lake (24), Sparr (22), Lowell (19), Candler (19), East Lake (11), Fairfield (8) and Orange Springs (8).
Below is a breakdown of other COVID-19 activity in the local area:
TRI-COUNTY AREA
- Cases: 64,858 – increase of 165
- Deaths: 1,789
- Hospitalizations: 3,958
LAKE COUNTY
- Cases: 26,862 – increase of 86
- Deaths: 609
- Hospitalizations: 1,420
- Vaccinations: 123,294 (74,531 both doses)
- Cities with most cases: Clermont (7,068), Leesburg (4,085), Eustis (2,368), Mount Dora (2,002) and Tavares (1,897).
SUMTER COUNTY
- Cases: 8,827 – increase of 15
- Deaths: 257
- Hospitalizations: 559
- Vaccinations: 75,185 (53,116 both doses)
- Areas/cities with most cases: The Villages (4,139), Wildwood (1,021), Bushnell (952), Coleman (842) and Oxford (506).