Florida Adds Record 2,468 Additional Covid-19 Deaths for Week

(Bloomberg) --

Florida reported 2,468 additional Covid-19 deaths in its latest weekly report, the most ever in a similar period. 

The number was slightly above the previous record set last week, 2,448, indicating that fatalities in Florida, like new infections, are slowing.

People 65 years and older made up 62% of the fatalities for the week ending Tuesday. Over the entire pandemic, Florida seniors have represented almost 80% of deaths. Two of the deaths in the last week were under 16 years old, and 33 were aged 16 to 29. 

The data are based on when the deaths were reported, not when they occurred and many happened weeks earlier. Other data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggest Florida deaths probably peaked about two weeks ago. The seven-day average of people dying in Florida hospitals with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 hit a record 288 on Sept. 3. Those data use different criteria from the state data in the report.

New infections fell for the third consecutive week, to 75,906. That is about half the number of a month ago. 
 

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