Twice a day the Florida Department of Health releases a case report on the number of COVID-19 cases in Florida, testing statistics and, now, a breakdown of cities where those testing positive live. It does not get specific, like ZIP code or address, simply a breakdown of cities or areas.
As of Sunday morning, the report showed that of Osceola’s 83 cases, 60 living in Kissimmee, 15 in St. Cloud, three in Celebration and one in Kindred. Those do not add up to 83, as the city is not always received as part of the initial notification and may be missing while the case is being investigated.
The report also shows the number of those tested, and the percentages of positive tests. While the state average is just over 9 percent of tests coming back positive, Osceola’s is higher at 15 percent — 83 of 562 total tested returning positive. As of Sunday morning, the stats show 64 others awaiting testing.
Currently, 0.025 percent of the population of Osceola County has tested positive, which is in line with neighboring counties. That number will surely rise, but there is reason to be optimistic that if we maintain focus on staying home as much as we can, social distancing and rigorous hygiene, the turnaround will occur soon, we will “flatten the curve”, and businesses will be able to re-open and return commerce, and the rest of our daily lives, in the area back to normal.