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Florida Surpasses 33,000 COVID-19 Deaths

screenshot of Florida's coronavirus dashboard on Mar. 16.
Florida Department of Health
Close to a third of the 102 COVID-19-related deaths recorded in Florida on Tuesday occurred in the greater Tampa Bay region.

As millions of people receive vaccines, Florida's COVID-19 death toll continues to climb.

Florida's COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 33,000.

Close to a third of the 102 deaths the state recorded on Tuesday occurred in the greater Tampa Bay Region.

The area also accounted for 16 of the 25 new COVID-19-related hospitalizations in the state.

The Florida Department of Health reported 4,791 more people have tested positive for the coronavirus, with 955 living in the greater Tampa Bay Region.

The state reported a significant increase in the number of tests returned on Monday compared to the previous day. The percent positivity rate for new cases was lower than Sunday, but still hovering near six percent.

More than 4.3 million people have received a coronavirus vaccine in the state.

About 2.4 million of them are fully vaccinated, meaning they have either received both doses of Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine, or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.

State Totals (as of Tuesday, March 16)

  • Positive Tests – 1,984,424
  • Deaths – 33,061

Daily Changes:

  • State: Positive Tests – 4,791 | Deaths – 102
  • Greater Tampa Bay region: Positive Tests – 955 | Deaths – 33

Daily Testing (statewide):

  • Tests Received - 96,878| Positivity Rate – 5.95%

ABOUT THE DATA: The Florida Department of Health produces a daily update around 11 a.m. with information about COVID-19 cases and deaths that were reported over the previous 24 hours. Cases and deaths in the report may have happened days or weeks earlier, according to state officials. The state separately tracks cases and deaths that occurred on specific days on its dashboard and those totals are frequently updated.

Florida COVID-19 daily total of positive tests/deaths for the last two weeks:

  • March 16: 4,791/102
  • March 15: 2,826/99
  • March 14: 3,699/31
  • March 13: 5,244/85
  • March 12: 5,214/105
  • March 11: 5,065/96
  • March 10: 4,853/62
  • March 9: 4,426/132
  • March 8: 3,312/83
  • March 7: 4,098/66
  • March 6: 4,690/107
  • March 5: 5,975/138
  • March 4: 6,118/126
  • March 3: 6,014/133
NOTE: The Florida Department of Health discontinued daily coronvirus updates on June 4, 2021.

I cover health care for WUSF and the statewide journalism collaborative Health News Florida. I’m passionate about highlighting community efforts to improve the quality of care in our state and make it more accessible to all Floridians. I’m also committed to holding those in power accountable when they fail to prioritize the health needs of the people they serve.
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