By News Service Florida
Government Health Officials Testify On Coronavirus Vaccine Development
TALLAHASSEE --- With more than 1,000 reported deaths in less than two weeks, the number of Florida residents who have died of COVID-19 exceeded 21,000 on Saturday, according to the state Department of Health.
The department’s website showed 21,135 residents have died since the pandemic started. Also, 302 non-residents have died in Florida.
The number of resident deaths increased by 140 from a Thursday count, as the department did not release statistics on Christmas Day. Florida exceeded 20,000 reported resident deaths on Dec. 14, hitting 20,003 that day.
Deaths, positive cases, and hospitalizations surged this fall and have continued into the early days of winter. As of Saturday, 1,264,588 people had tested positive since the pandemic started, an increase of 17,042 from Thursday.