HOLT, Fla., March 22, 2020—The United States is now ranked third in the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in the world, surpassing Spain.

To date, 13 Floridians have died from the virus with one of those deaths located in nearby Santa Rosa County.

According to information provided by Florida’s Department of Health, Okaloosa County ranks 15th out of 67 counties in the number of statewide cases. Broward and Dade counties in south Florida have the most.

In Okaloosa, of the 61 individuals tested, 23 percent have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Okaloosa County’s first positive case was identified March 4 as an individual who returned from Japan.

Santa Rosa, with four cases, has had one death attributed to COVID-19. The individual, who returned from travel to Egypt, Israel and Jordan, was the county’s first and was identified as positive March 5.

Walton County, with four cases, had its first positive case March 18.

In Alabama, Baldwin County to the west of the state line, has two positive cases. Escambia and Covington counties to the north of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties, have not recorded a positive case to date.

Stephanie Holcombe

Data: https://floridadisaster.org/globalassets/covid-19-data—daily-report-2020-03-22-1828.pdf

Florida’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard