According to a Department of Health report released on Friday More people have died so far this year from COVID-19 in Florida than in all of 2020, making the disease the third leading cause of death in the state,. The report said cumulative COVID deaths have reached 43,979 Florida residents as of August 26th. With deaths last year recorded at 21,673, the latest data means that in less than nine months this year, 22,306 people died of COVID-19 or COVID-related complications, outpacing the number of dead in the last calendar year. The first deaths from the pandemic in Florida were recorded in the first week of March last year and totaled 21,673 by December.