Polk County has recorded its first COVID-19 death, according to the Florida Department of Health’s noon report, which shows there are now 73 confirmed cases in Polk, up 10 from last night’s report.

The victim was a 60-year-old man who died on Saturday after his case was recorded on March 28, according to the Polk County Health Department. He had no known recent travel history but had been in contact with another COVID-19 case.

Countywide, 1,129 people have been tested, with 1,026 found negative and 30 awaiting results, according to the latest state report.

The disease has put 24 local people in hospitals. The patients include 41 women and 32 men ages 8 to 88.

Across Florida, there are 6,338 cases and 75 deaths.

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Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.

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