FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) — Florida reported more than 6,200 new coronavirus cases and 200 deaths on Friday.

The state health department reported 229 new confirmed deaths, bringing Florida’s death total to 9,276 since March 1. Over the past week, Florida has averaged 175 reported coronavirus deaths per day — only Texas was higher with 212.

Florida’s total confirmed cases is more than 563,000. The positivity rate for testing remains at 12.8 per cent in the last week. The number of patients treated for coronavirus in Florida hospitals was 5,943 on Friday, down from a peak of more than 9,500 three weeks ago.

In the past month, COVID-19 has become Florida’s leading cause of death, averaging more than 140 reported fatalities per day. By comparison, the state health department says cancer and heart disease each average about 125 deaths per day.

COVID is easily the state’s deadliest infectious disease: Pneumonia, AIDS and viral hepatitis kill about 10 Floridians per day combined.