Bellone Grateful for Ongoing Viral Progress
As the number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in other parts of the country, such as Florida and Texas, surge to levels that put a strain on the health care system, County Executive Steve Bellone (D) appreciates the difficult and hard-fought effort that has put the county on the other side of the deadly viral curve.
“The numbers that we have right now relative to where we’ve been… are really outstanding,” Bellone said on his daily conference call with reporters.
Bellone empathized with the challenges other states and counties faced.
“To see it happening to other places around the country, it’s a terrible thing,” Bellone said.
Bellone urged residents to follow the same “common sense” things they have been doing, including wearing face coverings when they can’t socially distance, staying home when they’re not feeling well and washing their hands and using hand sanitizer.
Indeed, the numbers for the county continued to be well within the limits, even as the county entered the third day of the Phase 3 reopening.
An additional 57 people tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total to 41,208 since the pandemic started. The total number of tests administered in the county was 5,076, which means positive tests were around 1.1 percent.
The number of people who tested positive for the antibody, who didn’t have a previous COVID-19 test, was 18,669.
Hospitalizations declined by eight to 77. The number of people in the Intensive Care Unit increased by one to 26.
Hospital capacity was at 68 percent overall and 58 percent in the ICU.
An additional 10 people were discharged from the hospitals.
One person died in the last 24 hours, bringing the total killed from complications related to COVID-19 to 1,975.
The county distributed 12,000 pieces of personal protective equipment over the last day.
Bellone urged residents to participate in the Veteran Run Series, which has raised about $1 million this year. The third race, the Michael P. Murphy run around the lake, is this Saturday Residents interested in running can register at sufflkcountyveteransrunseries.
