FL Dept of Health Updates New COVID-19 Cases, Announces 14 Deaths Related to COVID-19, 4/18/20 Morning Update

Florida Department of Health Updates New COVID-19 Cases, Announces Fourteen Deaths Related to COVID-19, Morning Update

~24,577 positive cases in Florida residents and 692 positive cases in non-Florida residents~

TALLAHASSEE — To keep Florida residents and visitors safe, informed and aware about the status of the virus, the Florida Department of Health has launched a COVID-19 dashboard that will be updated twice daily. The twice daily COVID-19 report now includes information by county about deaths related to staff or residents in long-term care facilities. Of the 1,627 cases of residents or staff in long-term care facilities, 162 have died. We also encourage all Floridians to take the COVID-19 Community Action Survey by visiting www.StrongerThanC19.com.

Today, as of 11 a.m., there are 25,269 total** Florida cases.

While Florida’s testing has increased over the past week, the percent of those testing positive for COVID-19 overall is 10 percent. Of the 14,191 tests performed on April 17, there were 1,419 positive results, or 10 percent.

Fourteen people have died who tested positive for COVID-19 Broward, Dade, Desoto, Hernando, Lake and Suwannee counties.

New Florida cases include:

• 516 additional positive COVID-19 cases (511 Florida residents and 5 non-Florida residents) reported to the Florida Department of Health.
• There are currently 24,577 positive cases in Florida residents and 692 positive cases in non-Florida residents.

Florida recently partnered with private laboratories around the state to expand COVID-19 laboratory testing capacity. This partnership will increase the number of tests conducted each day and ensure Floridians receive the critical health information they need in a timely manner.

Expansion to private laboratories changes the COVID-19 testing landscape in Florida. Private laboratories are running tests as they receive swab samples from practitioners. Testing and reporting times vary among commercial and DOH laboratories. Demographic information may be updated during investigations. These twice daily reports reflect the state’s efforts to accurately and transparently share information.

More information on a case-by-case basis can also be found here.

For more detail on Florida resident cases, please visit the live DOH Dashboard here.

* Florida residents that are diagnosed with COVID-19 and isolated out of state are not reflected on the Florida map.

**Total cases overview includes positive cases in Florida residents and non-Florida residents tested in Florida.