ORLANDO, Fla. – Several Central Florida counties reported their first coronavirus-related deaths Thursday, according to officials with the Florida Department of Health.
Florida’s COVID-19 death toll grew overnight into Thursday, reaching 128. As of Thursday, more than 1,000 people statewide are hospitalized with severe cases of the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
Some of those fatalities were reported in Central Florida, including in Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola and Polk counties. More than a dozen people in the region have died due to complications from COVID-19.
Thursday marked a turning point for Lake, Polk and Flagler counties, which reported the first fatal cases of the respiratory illness.