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Duval County Becomes Nation's Coronavirus Hotspot For Hospitalizations

Bob Self
/
The Florida Times-Union
People are pictured arriving for the Regeneron antibody at the Jacksonville Main Library Tuesday.

With one of every 813 residents hospitalized with COVID-19, Duval County is the nation's hot spot at this moment in the pandemic that's seen a summer surge of infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

But Duval, averaging 123 COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 population, isn't alone. Baker (117), Nassau (116), St. Johns (112) and Clay (108) counties are also among the country's top 10 counties with the most hospitalizations per capita, according to data compiled by The New York Times and reported by WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.

As the number of coronavirus cases build in public schools in Duval, Clay and St. Johns counties, which only opened in the last week, concerns are growing about the number of children who are or may become hospitalized. 

On Tuesday, Baptist Health reported 534 patients with the virus at its five Jacksonville-area hospitals, including 125 in intensive care, spokeswoman Cindy Hamilton said. The new total was four fewer than Monday's 538.

Read the rest of this story at Jacksonville.com.