Two COVID-19 deaths were added to the total for Okeechobee County in the past month, according to the Florida Department of Health. The totals for Hendry and Glades County did not change. Palm Beach County added 22 COVID-19 deaths.

The Florida Department of Health website has a COVID-19 dashboard with county-by-county information about COVID-19 positive cases, deaths and vaccinations to the www.flhealthcharts.gov website.

According to the Florida Department of Health data, the state had 23,342 covid deaths in 2020; 39,861 covid deaths in 2021; 21,278 covid deaths in 2022; and, 8,098 covid deaths this year as of Dec. 18, 2023 (with 454 deaths added to the state total in the past month.)

Covid deaths in the counties around Lake Okeechobee, as of Dec. 18:

• Okeechobee County: 50 covid deaths in 2020; 102 covid deaths in 2021; 38 covid deaths in 2022; 17 covid deaths in 2023;
• Hendry County: 55 covid deaths in 2020; 86 covid deaths in 2021; 31 covid deaths in 2022; 8 covid deaths in 2023;
• Glades County: 15 covid deaths in 2020; 19 covid deaths in 2021; 3 covid deaths in 2022; 1 covid death in 2023;
• Palm Beach County 1,969 covid deaths in 2020; 2,394 covid deaths in 2021; 1,520 covid deaths in 2022; 585 covid deaths in 2023.

The Centers for Disease Control advises:

• Vaccine boosters are available. Consult your doctor for advice.
• Stay home if you are sick. Keep children home from school if they are sick.
• Seek testing and possible treatment if you are sick. Free at home covid tests are available from the government at covidtest.gov or call 1-800-232-0233. Early detection is important because available treatments for COVID-19 are most effective if given within the first few days that symptoms appear.
• Avoid contact with others who are sick.
• Masks can help reduce the amount of germs you breathe in, and can also help protect others if you are sick. Their effectiveness against different viruses varies.