State health officials confirm first Miami-Dade coronavirus case, two others
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State health officials Wednesday night confirmed three new cases of novel coronavirus in Florida, including the first confirmed case in Miami-Dade County.
The Florida Department of Health announced one case in Miami-Dade, one in St. Johns County in North Florida and one in Broward County, bringing the total number of known Florida cases to 26, 23 of whom are Florida residents. The case in St. Johns County is a 63-year-old man who is a New York resident. A woman from Georgia and a woman from California are the other two Florida cases.
In Miami-Dade County, a 56-year old man who tested positive had traveled recently.
Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade’s mayor, offered limited details about the man, saying he was at home, and not hospitalized. He also said the man had been traveling out of the country.
“The only information I have is this was a travel-related case,” he said.
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The second case is a 70-year old man in Broward County. He recently attended an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Conference in Tampa. His case is being investigated by health officials..
See a map of Florida counties with reported cases of coronavirus
In St. Johns County, the man traveled from New York to attend Daytona Bike Week in Daytona. The New York Department of Health is handling his case.
So far, there are 147 pending test results for coronavirus. There are 476 people currently monitored. Two Florida residents have died from the disease, which can be especially life-threatening for those with complicating health conditions and those of advanced age.
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House Speaker José Oliva, R-Miami Lakes said the Miami-Dade case was “to be expected.”
“Miami is the gateway to the Americas,” he said. “People fly in and out of Miami every day. It’s one of the busiest airports of the country.”
The news came after a rash of eight cases was announced Tuesday night and one day after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office rejected at comments made by Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert on the federal Coronavirus Task Force.
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Fauci plainly stated on Tuesday that Florida is one of four states with “community spread” of the disease and therefore elevated risk.
At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, DeSantis said Fauci was referring to the multiple cases of coronavirus in Broward County tied to a cruise services company at Port Everglades, which he said were not evidence of community spread.
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This is a breaking story that will be updated.
