2 new COVID-19 deaths recorded in Duval County as statewide toll hits 1,600

More than 38,800 coronavirus cases confirmed in Florida

A nurse holds a swabs and test tube kit to test people for COVID-19, the disease that is caused by the new coronavirus, at a drive through station set up in a hospital parking lot. (Paul Sancya, Paul Sancya/AP)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sixty-one new coronavirus-related deaths were recorded in a span of 24 hours in Florida, including two in Duval County, the state Department of Health reported Thursday morning.

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, the statewide death toll was at 1,600, while the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had reached 38,828, up 826 cases from Wednesday morning, according to the Florida Department of Heath.

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Data show the latest fatalities reported in Northeast Florida included the death of a 74-year-old woman in Duval County. It was unknown the case was travel-related. The other death was that of a 69-year-old woman in Duval County. The case was not travel-related and it’s unknown whether she had contact with a confirmed case.

A total of 1,083 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Duval County, with 28 deaths, according to data.

For a full breakdown of all 11 Northeast Florida counties, see the chart below.

County-by-county breakdown

So far, 6,765 of Florida’s COVID-19 patients have required hospitalization.

It’s unclear how many people have gotten better since contracting the virus. The state does not provide data on the number of people who have recovered.

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The state has tested 493,576 people for the coronavirus, with 7.9% of tests coming back positive.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that Florida will look to new ways to expand coronavirus testing, including allowing tests at pharmacies and randomly checking blood donations for antibodies that indicate whether people have recovered from the disease.

DeSantis held a news conference in Miami to show the state’s new mobile testing lab, which will travel to nursing homes and assisted living facilities to conduct rapid testing. It will conduct up to 500 tests a day.

He also said the state is giving approval for CVS, Walgreens and Walmart to conduct tests and that he’s looking into the possibility of home testing. Testing at those businesses will start with a handful of locations and then expand,

The state also began antibody testing at drive-up sites, placing a priority on health care workers.