FL Coronavirus Cases Surpass 300 Mark; 8 Deaths

TALLAHASSEE, FL — The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases in Florida for the first time surpassed the 300 mark Wednesday as state health officials confirmed the first deaths in Manatee and Broward counties.

Health officials said 299 Florida residents had tested positive for the virus as of Wednesday and another 29 people from outside the state tested positive in Florida.

The new cases bring to eight the total number of deaths in Florida from COVID-19 as a total of 328 people tested positive for the illness, including those from outside the state. Don't miss updates about precautions in Florida as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Florida Surgeon General Scott A. Rivkees confirmed a Broward County death occurred at an assisted living facility with 218 elderly residents.

"We're talking about one facility where one individual who passed away was known to have COVID-19 and we don't have any other confirmed COVID-19 cases," he said. State officials confirmed that two other deaths at the facility were not related to the illness.

Rivkees said health officials learned of the Broward death late Monday night. "We immediately sent a strike force team out there from the Department of Health," he said.

The team consisted of the director of the Broward County Florida Department of Health, epidemiologists, infection control experts and others. "Later in the evening we actually had a call with the Centers for Disease Control where they took information and then had further follow up this morning," he added.

Broward had 80 cases as of Wednesday, the most of any of Florida's 67 counties, followed by 76 cases in neighboring Miami-Dade County to its south and 19 in Palm Beach County to its north. Hillsborough County had 13 cases as did Duval and Collier. Pinellas and Lee counties each had 10 cases followed by Volusia and Orange counties with nine each. Manatee and Osceola counties each had eight cases while Seminole and Alachua each had seven.

Clay County and Sarasota County each had four cases as of Wednesday while Okaloosa, Pasco and Citrus counties each had three cases. Lake County had two cases while Gadsden, Leon, Sumter, Brevard, Polk, Santa Rosa, Nassau, Charlotte and Escambia each had one case.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said several first responders from his city had to be self-quarantined after they came in contact with patients at the assisted living facility.

"It is with a heavy heart that I must report that three elderly residents at nursing facilities in our city have passed away," he told reporters. "Test results have confirmed one was infected with the COVID-19 virus and we await the results of the other tests."

WPLG-TV in Miami reported that a total of five firefighters and a police officer were in self-quarantine.

Health officials did not provide any details on the Manatee County death. Officials reported a total of eight confirmed cases in Manatee, including five men and three women. The average age of Manatee patients is 68.8. Only one of the cases is deemed travel related.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Education announced that all K-12 schools and career and technical center campuses will remain closed through April 15.

All state-required assessments have been canceled for the rest of the school year. All remaining assessments for school readiness, voluntary pre-kindergarten and K-12 assessments are canceled. Requirements for graduation and promotion, and final course grades will be evaluated as though those assessments which were cancelled did not exist. In addition, school performance grades will not be calculated for the 2019-2020 academic year.

School officials said unspent funds that are allocated for a specific purpose may now be used to provide digital devices and Internet service for students who need them.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also clarified who should get tested for the illness.

"If you are elderly, 65 or plus, and you have symptoms of COVID-19 — regardless of where you've traveled, who you've interacted with, you are eligible to be tested," DeSantis said.

"If you are somebody regardless of age, who has an underlying medical condition and you have symptoms of COVID-19, you are absolutely eligible to be tested," the governor said. "If you are somebody regardless of any travel, or interactions that has been hospitalized with pneumonia, for an unknown cause, you are eligible to be tested for COVID-19."

State officials recently partnered with private laboratories to expand the COVID-19 testing capacity.

"This partnership will increase the number of tests conducted each day and ensure Floridians receive the critical health information they need in a timely manner," health officials said.

Click here for county-by-county summary of COVID-19 cases around Florida.