LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Coronavirus cases in Lake County continue to rise, however, hospitalizations remain low, according to an update Lake County Department of Emergency Management officials provided to the county Board of Commissioners Tuesday.
“We are still under the 2% positivity mark and but I’m concerned that it will go up in the days to come,” a representative with emergency management said.
Lake County has been doing more COVID-19 testing compared to surrounding counties with over 23,000 residents tested as of Tuesday.
Since March 1, Lake County has reported 498 positive cases of the virus, including 16 deaths. Nearly 90 people with severe cases of COVID-19 have required hospitalization, according to the state coronavirus dashboard.
“Two weeks ago I reported the number of tested 16,953 so that’s an increase of 6,999 tests in two weeks," Thomas Carpenter, Emergency Management operations manager, said.
Meanwhile emergency officials said Lake County is in the middle of receiving nearly $16 million in federal funding through the CARES ACT which could provide more personal protective equipment, or PPE, for both residents and first responders.
Officials said COVID-19 testing will continue at the Lake County Fairgrounds though they are encouraging residents to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing.
As of Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health reported 2,783 new cases of COVID-19, as well as 55 new deaths in the state, the largest jump in newly reported cases of COVID-19 since the disease was detected in the state on March 1. More than 80,000 people in Florida have tested positive for the virus since March.