Between May and June there were a total of 52 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wilton Manors — in July almost double with 103.
“Looking back at the last five or six months, we all learned there is a lot we still do not know about the virus, its transmission and the accuracy of reporting. Unfortunately, the numbers have increased substantially over this period,” said Wilton Manors City Commissioner Paul Rolli. “I am hopeful that the pace at which the cases are rising will begin to slow in August, although, I also thought that would have happened a month or so ago.”
The total number of cases in Wilton Manors as of Monday according to data obtained from the Florida Department of Health now stands at 248, up from 140 on July 1. That’s about a 75% increase.
Oakland Park also saw a dramatic increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 661 in July — far more than 159, the total from May and June.
“I am concerned about the impact of the virus on the wellbeing of our population, from a physical and mental health perspective and the effect of the economic impact,” Rolli said. “These conditions are increasing stress and anxiety levels among everyone. With the expiration of the federal and state safety net economic incentive programs, there is also a greater level of anxiety.”
At the end of May new weekly cases in Wilton Manors had dropped to just 1. In May there were 30 new cases. In June, 22.
The total cases in Wilton Manors come to about 1.9% of the population. Next door in Oakland Park it's about 2% of the population. For comparison the percentage of positive tests in Florida amounts to 2.3% of the population.
As Broward County and the rest of the state has reopened, Florida has set multiple records for the number of daily coronavirus cases in the last 30 days. South Florida has paused much of its reopening plans while Broward County has implemented a nightly curfew and new restrictions have been placed on certain businesses.
According to FDOH as of Monday, 58,531 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Broward County — that’s more than 3 times the number since July 1. So far 748 have died in the county — 588 since July 1.
In Fort Lauderdale there have been 13,129 cases, up from 3,502 on July 1. Next door, Oakland Park is up to 661.
There are 491,884 confirmed cases in Florida, more than 4.8 million in the U.S., and globally more than 18.3 million. So far there have been 7,157 deaths in Florida, 158,000 in the U.S. and globally more than 695,000. More than 3,600 Floridians have died since July 1 – that’s more than the number of people who died before July 1.
“These are extremely difficult and unprecedented times for everyone and we must continue to work together to help one another,” Rolli said. “Individually, we must take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and others from all perils during this pandemic.”
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