COVID-19 Deaths Near 58,000 As Hospitalizations Drop
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - Nearly 58,000 Florida residents have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic started in early 2020, according to a report released Friday by the state Department of Health.
The report listed 57,859 deaths as of Thursday. That was up from 56,667 in a report issued last week.
Lags in reporting make it unclear when the deaths occurred. While the death toll has increased, the state has seen a steady decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations in September and the first half of October.
The Florida Hospital Association said Friday that 2,938 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were hospitalized in the state as of Friday, a 24 percent drop from a week earlier.
The number cited by the hospital association was lower than a total posted on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
That total showed 3,257 people hospitalized in Florida with COVID-19.
Regardless, the numbers reflect significant decreases in hospitalizations since summer, as the state hit a peak of more than 17,000 people hospitalized in August.