Thursday's Coronavirus Updates: Total SWFL cases inch toward 1,000, 3 new deaths

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, there have been 16,826 positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida. The case count includes 16,323 Florida residents and 503 non-Florida residents. There are 371 deaths reported and 2,298 hospitalizations, according to the Florida Department of Health.

There have been 156,852 tests administered in Florida. A total of 16,826 tests have come back positive and 139,862 tests have come back negative. The remainder is still pending, according to the FDOH website.

Three of the new deaths were those who tested positive for the virus in Charlotte County: A 78-year-old female who traveled and did have contact with a positive case and a 92-year-old man and 78-year-old female who did not travel but did have contact with someone positive for the virus.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS

Total number of cases: 16,826 (up from 16,364)
Deaths: 371 (up from 354)

1,128 total cases reported Thursday
48 total deaths reported Thursday

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA NUMBERS

Total in SWFL: 943 (up from 901)
Deaths: 25 (up from 22)

75 new cases reported Thursday
3 new deaths reported Thursday

Lee County: 522 (up from 496)
Collier County: 303 (up from 292)
Charlotte County: 81 (up from 79)
DeSoto County: 20 (up from 19)
Glades County: 4 (unchanged)
Hendry County: 13 (up from 11)

Click HERE for a SWFL case-by-case breakdown – updated daily.

RESOURCES

NOW HIRING: SWFL companies adding jobs as business picks up amid coronavirus crisis

LATEST CLOSURES: Southwest Florida business updates and store closings

#GulfshoreStrong: Covering people making a difference in SWFL

THURSDAY COVID-19 HEADLINES

UPCOMING BRIEFINGS:

3 p.m. – Gov. DeSantis education meeting in Tallahassee – WATCH it here

5 p.m. – The White House Coronavirus Task Force daily briefing

FGCU confirms two COVID-10 cases at university

FGCU president Mike Martin confirmed two positive coronavirus cases at the university Thursday.

One patient is a staff member at the Bower School of Music & the Arts and is currently in isolation following CDC guidelines.

Another patient is a student who lives at FGCU’s off-campus housing complex, West Lake Village. The student reported their diagnosis to the university Wednesday. They said they had minimal contact with others, and they are currently in isolation following CDC guidelines.

According to FGCU, “It’s important to note that any individual who tests positive will be isolated, and anyone believed to be at risk for exposure will be contacted and asked to self-quarantine. We are taking these steps, and also working with the Florida Department of Health, which will conduct the contact tracing process.”

Lee County expected to receive field hospital

The Florida Division of Emergency Management has dispatched a 250-bed field hospital to Lee County. It is scheduled to arrive Friday and will be held in staging

Jobless claims could top 7 million

The government is set to report another shocking level of unemployment claims Thursday even after nearly 10 million people applied for benefits in the previous two weeks because of business shutdowns from the coronavirus. The number will likely keep increasing, in part because many states are still clearing out backlogs of applications for unemployment aid. And with more companies running through their cash cushions as the virus-related shutdowns persist, they are resorting to layoffs to save money.

IF YOU FEEL SICK:

The Florida Department of Health has opened a 24-hour COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINK: Florida Department of Health COVID-19 updates

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