COVID-19 On The Rise In Sarasota, Manatee Counties: DOH

Bradenton FL

20 July, 2021

6:48 AM

Description

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — The number of new coronavirus cases in Sarasota and Manatee counties has been on the rise in recent weeks, according to data from the Florida Department of Health. The week of July 9-15, Manatee County reported 657 new cases and a 12.6 percent new case positivity rate, according to the DOH's most recent COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report. That's a significant increase from two weeks earlier, when 139 new cases and a 3.9 percent positivity rate was reported. In Sarasota County, 504 new cases and an 8.6 percent positivity rate were reported between July 9-15, according to state data. Two weeks prior, just 141 new cases and a 3.5 percent positivity rate were reported in the county. Statewide, nearly 46,000 new cases were reported in Florida July 9-15. That represents a new case positivity rate of 11.5 percent. Two weeks before this, the state reported nearly 16,000 cases and a 5.2 percent positivity rate. Like what you're reading? Invite a friend to subscribe to free Bradenton newsletters and real-time email alerts. The rise in cases is driven largely by the spread of the delta variant, which is more contagious, and is primarily affecting those who are unvaccinated. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky shared concerns Friday that coronavirus is "becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated," according to The Hill. The surge in cases is primarily hitting areas with low vaccination rates, she added. Florida currently accounts for nearly 20 percent of all new COVID-19 cases in the United States, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday. "We will likely ... continue to experience an increase in COVID cases in the weeks ahead, with these cases concentrated in communities with lower vaccination rates," he said, according to The Hill. The COVID-19 vaccine is available for those 12 and older throughout the U.S. In Florida, 11.3 million people or 59 percent of those eligible have been vaccinated against the virus. In Manatee County, nearly 205,000 people (57 percent of the eligible population) have been vaccinated. In Sarasota County, nearly 273,000 (68 percent of the eligible population) have been vaccinated.