Florida’s known cases of COVID-19 coronavirus have now hit 1,227, the state announced Monday evening, adding that 17 Floridians have now died from the virus -- three more than was reported in the morning update.

The state Department of Health says 1,147 cases are confirmed in Florida residents, along with another 80 in non-Florida residents here, for a total of 1,227 out of 13,094 tests given. That's an increase of 220 total cases from Sunday.

Details about the four patients who died were not immediately available.

Another 1,101 test results are still pending, and 1,237 people are being monitored.

“We’re expecting to see more. That’s just the nature of this,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday, pointing out that part of the reason for higher numbers is the result of increased testing.

Bay Area at a glance:


Hillsborough: 75

Pinellas: 41

Citrus: 9

Hernando: 5

Pasco: 14

Manatee: 15

Sarasota: 21

Polk: 13

DeSoto: 1

Highlands: 2

Hardee: 0

MAP: County-by-county COVID-19 cases in Florida

The availability of tests remains an issue in Florida. Hillsborough County was ready to open drive-through testing sites over the weekend, but did not receive enough test kits in time. They are now hoping to be ready Wednesday.

Monday, Gov. DeSantis announced a new partnership with the University of Florida to test residents in The Villages not only to diagnose potential patients, but also to study how prevalent the coronavirus may be among those who are not showing symptoms.

Experts believe that, once exposed, some people may carry and spread the virus for up to two weeks without showing any symptoms, which is one of the reasons for the social distancing orders.

Meanwhile, Hillsborough’s Emergency Policy Group is met via phone this afternoon and voted against a possible stay-at-home order for the county.

The state has closed all dine-in restaurants, beaches, and as of Monday, all state parks. The governor plans to force everyone arriving from the New York City area to self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in Florida.

A previous version of this story reflected information on the Florida Department of Health website, saying 18 deaths due to COVID-19 had been reported. The state later updated its website to say 17 deaths.

If you feel sick:

The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website

CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: What you need to know

AROUND THE WORLD: CoronavirusNOW.com

Map of known COVID-19 cases:

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