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Your Thursday Coronavirus Update: Hospitalizations Tick Down Statewide; Orange County ER Visits Increase

ER visits in Orange County for COVID-19 like illnesses and influenza like illnesses have been climbing since the start of September. Image: Florida Department of Health
Matthew Peddie
ER visits in Orange County for COVID-19 like illnesses and influenza like illnesses have been climbing since the start of September. Image: Florida Department of Health



The latest on coronavirus: Hospitalizations Tick Down Statewide; Orange County ER Visits Increase

Matthew Peddie, WMFE

Florida added 2,814 new cases and 159 new deaths Thursday. The cumulative case count is now 709,144. Florida's COVID-19 death toll is 14,619.

The percent positive rate for new cases in the latest report was 4.65%, down from 5.01% on Tuesday. Percent positivity for new cases has ranged from 5.85% to 4.04% over the last 14 days. Some 65,474 Florida residents were tested Tuesday.

The Agency for Health Care Administration listed 2,080 people hospitalized with COVID-19 Thursday, continuing a downward trend since July.

In Orange County, ER visits for both Influenza like illness and COVID-19 like illness have been rising since the start of September.

Orange County reported 12 new deaths Thursday, bringing its death toll to 470.

Marion County added 5 deaths. Some 295 people have died from COVID-19 in Marion County, which is 3% of the county's cases.

Here's a roundup of stories you may have missed:

Florida Law Enforcement Officials, OneBlood Call on Coronavirus Survivors to Donate Convalescent Plasma

Danielle Prieur, WMFE

FBI special agent Rachel Rojas says she still can’t taste or smell months after getting coronavirus twice. But Rojas says giving back to the community and saving lives by donating convalescent plasma has offered her new hope. Read more here.
Sumter County’s 21% positivity linked to COVID-19 cases at Coleman prison complex

Joe Byrnes, WMFE

An increase in COVID-19 cases in Sumter County is tied to newly reported data from the federal prison complex in Coleman. Read more here.

Radiologist Dr. Diane Horowitz of the Women’s Center for Radiology Says Mammograms Still Save Lives During a Pandemic

Danielle Prieur, WMFE

Coronavirus has impacted the number of Floridians who are getting screened for and diagnosed with breast cancer. 90.7's Danielle Prieur spoke with radiologist Dr. Diane Horowitz of the Women’s Center for Radiology about the importance of getting a mammogram during the pandemic. Listen to the conversation here.
More Than 6,000 Walt Disney World Employees To Be Laid Off, Starting In December

Matthew Peddie, WMFE

More than six thousand Disney employees at Walt Disney World resorts in the Orlando area will be laid off beginning December 4th. Read more here.
South Florida College Students Share Their Experiences With Virtual Learning

Amber Amortegui, WLRN 
Some college students enjoy the convenience of remote learning while others say it’s not ideal. South Florida college campuses look emptier this fall as remote learning becomes the new norm for many students due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here.