Two more Sarasota Memorial Hospital employees also tested positive for COVID-19.

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A 28-year-old Sarasota County man has died of COVID-19 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the third hospital patient to die of the disease and the youngest of the 85 deaths in Florida.

The Florida Department of Health reported the 28-year-old’s death Tuesday and the death of a 68-year-old Manatee County man who had traveled to France. The Manatee County death appears to be Bradenton retiree Tom Sheehan. The Herald-Tribune reported Sunday that Sheehan, 68, died at Sarasota Memorial Saturday after falling sick following a cruise that stopped in France.

In addition to announcing a third person has died of COVID-19 at the hospital, Sarasota Memorial said in a press release Tuesday that two more hospital workers have tested positive for COVID-19. A total of eight hospital employees have now tested positive. There were 26 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Sarasota Memorial Tuesday, down from 28 on Monday.

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Sarasota Memorial has diagnosed 40 people with COVID-19 out of 600 tested.

Among the eight employees who have tested positive, one had to be hospitalized but has been discharged.

“These cases remain under investigation, but based on the tracing of the employees’ contacts, they did not appear to have a known exposure to a positive patient at SMH,” the hospital said in a press release. “Patients and staff who had close contact with the employees in the days before they went into quarantine are being notified. As a precaution, several staff have been asked to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days, and we are testing those who have or develop symptoms.”

The first COVID-19 death at Sarasota Memorial was acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally, 81, who died at the hospital last week. An 82-year-old man died at Venice Bayfront Regional Health of COVID-19 last week.

The Florida Department of Health reported 6,741 coronavirus cases in the state as of Tuesday evening, including 76 in Sarasota County and 53 in Manatee County. There were 85 COVID-19 deaths statewide as of Tuesday evening, including three Sarasota County residents and two Manatee County residents.

Sarasota Memorial has discharged 21 patients who were treated for the disease. Hospital officials are working to expand their capacity to treat severely ill patients as the coronavirus crisis deepens. The number of intensive care unit beds has been increased from 62 to 80 and can be further expanded.

Sarasota Memorial also is working to get more personal protective equipment.

“Obtaining personal protective equipment (PPE) is our highest priority amid widespread national shortages,” according to the press release. “We are working 24/7 to source supplies from every available channel as the outbreak accelerates.”