TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1 million Americans have died as a result of COVID-19. President Joe Biden marked the occasion by ordering flags across the country lowered to half-staff in remembrance of the death toll from the pandemic.
Based on provisional case reports for county deaths due to COVID, 17,976 Tampa Bay residents have died from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
In part of Biden’s remarks Thursday on the number of COVID deaths across the country, the president said each one was “an irreplaceable loss” and that he and the First Lady Dr. Jill Biden were praying for the families and communities that were left behind. The president urged vigilance as COVID-19 continued to infect Americans.
“We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible, as we have with more testing, vaccines, and treatments than ever before,” Biden said in a statement. “It’s critical that Congress sustain these resources in the coming months.”
In total, 998,716 Americans died with COVID-19 listed as an underlying cause in 90% of the reported deaths, according to the CDC, as of May 7. In the other 10%, “COVID-19 was listed as a contributing cause of death.” The CDC reported 150,564 deaths have occurred in the United States since the start of 2022, through May 7.
NBC News reported, based on analysis of data, that 1,002,848 had died to COVID-19 in the U.S. They said that number was as of Wednesday, May 11.
The health agency said their data is incomplete “due to delayed reporting of death certificates.” It said the data lags in count totals of a few weeks, as they receive more information. The CDC said “these totals will likely equal or exceed counts reported by other sources through the same week.”
In the state of Florida, a reopened economy and end to restrictions has contributed to a bustling economy, according to state officials. Gov. Ron DeSantis and State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo have said in past remarks that state policy would “buck the CDC” and instead focus on “pushing back on unscientific corporate masking” policies and reducing isolation for Floridians.
“The State of Florida has widespread natural and vaccine-induced immunity,” Ladapo said when the new health policies for Florida were announced in February. “Evidence suggests that most secondary transmission occurs early on. Our state will continue to make decisions for Floridians rooted in sound science, not fear, whether they are working or in school.”
Still, the reports from the Florida Department of Health and the CDC both show case counts and death tolls have slowed down, but still grow.
Here’s how many people have died of COVID-19 in the Tampa Bay area from the start of the pandemic to May 8, according to the CDC.
| Location | Number of Deaths |
|---|---|
| Florida | 74,060 |
| Citrus County | 976 |
| Hardee County | 124 |
| Hernando County | 1,095 |
| Highlands County | 686 |
| Hillsborough County | 3,793 |
| Manatee County | 1,434 |
| Pasco County | 1,900 |
| Pinellas County | 3,356 |
| Polk County | 2,991 |
| Sarasota County | 1,620 |
While the data showing county-level deaths stops at May 8, statewide death totals provided by the CDC show the state total was 74,133 as of May 10, the date state-level data is current through. FDOH data also shows a statewide total of 74,060 as of their bi-weekly report, published May 6.
FDOH does not provide county-level death data in their bi-weekly report, though they do provide demographic information based on age, race, and gender.