25 New Coronavirus Cases In Florida; 3rd Person Dies

TALLAHASSEE, FL — A third Florida resident has died from the new coronavirus as health officials reported 25 new cases in the state early Saturday morning and state education officials recommended school districts add an additional week of spring break to their calendars.

The 42-year-old mayor of Miami became the most high-profile person in Florida to become infected, causing the city's police chief and city manager to also self-quarantine.

Water, paper towels, toilet paper and disinfectant wipes remained among the most sought after items in Florida stores as numerous events were postponed, grocery stores limited hours and some movie theaters planned to reduce theater capacity to stem the spread of the illness.

“I was informed that I have tested positive for COVID-19," Miami Francis Suarez said Friday in a video statement. "I feel completely healthy and strong. However, I am doing the responsible thing by working with the county’s health department to take every precaution to ensure that not only my family is healthy, but everyone I have come in contact with is healthy as well."

The mayor of Florida's largest city self-quarantined himself Thursday as did U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez after meeting with Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro during his recent visit to Florida.

Bolsonaro's press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, tested positive for the new coronavirus after accompanying his president on the Florida visit, which included a stop at President Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort. The president said he will "most likely" get tested too though he insisted he has no symptoms.

"If we did not shake hands, or you did not come into contact with me if I coughed or sneezed, there is no action you need to take whatsoever," Suarez assured. "If we did, however, touch or shake hands, or if I sneezed or coughed near you since Monday, it is recommended that you self-isolate for 14 days, but you do not need to get tested."

The new cases bring the total number of Florida residents with the illness to 69 plus one person from California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Texas, Europe and two from New York, who were tested in Florida, according to state health officials. See an updated county-by-county breakdown at the bottom of this story. See Florida Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Coronavirus

A 68-year-old Orange County woman became the third person from Florida to die from the virus, according to the Florida Department of Health. She tested positive in California after traveling to Asia.

Florida's other two deaths from the new coronavirus involved elderly patients in Santa Rosa County and Lee County, both of whom suffered from serious underlying conditions. See: Interactive Map: Latest US Coronavirus Cases

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said next week's presidential primary in Florida would continue as planned, but polling sites that are located in assisted living facilities would be discouraged from allowing the general public to vote at those locations.

As of Saturday morning, there had been a total of 145,374 confirmed cases of the illness and 5,429 deaths around the world, with the majority still in Hubei, China, according to information compiled by Johns Hopkins University. A total of 71,694 people have recovered from the illness. Don’t miss updates about precautions in Florida as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

The governor has said at least 11 of the state's total cases are linked to a Nile River cruise that took place in February or March. State health officials are asking Florida residents to self-isolate if they took the Nile River cruise between Feb. 4 through Feb. 18 from the date of their return.

Five of Florida's confirmed cases involve people who traveled to China and were placed in quarantine by federal officials in other states.

A New York attorney who tested positive for the new coronavirus also traveled to Miami in early February — days or weeks before he became ill. He is not counted in the total because he is a resident of New York. See New York Coronavirus Patient Had Traveled To Miami In February and Coronavirus Outbreak: Tips To Prepare At Home

The new cases announced Saturday include two from Orange County, six from Miami-Dade, nine from Broward County, two from Manatee County, three from Palm Beach County and one each from Volusia County and Osceola County

COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when someone coughs or sneezes. These droplets may land on objects and surfaces. Other people may contract the virus by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

Health officials said there haven't been any asymptomatic transmissions of the illness, meaning that people can only acquire COVID-19 from somebody who has the illness. Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure. Most people recover from COVID-19 without special treatment. The elderly and those with underlying medical problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems, obesity and diabetes are more likely to develop serious illness, the health department said.

Public Health Guidance On Virus Prevention:

• Do not go to an emergency room unless absolutely essential. Those with symptoms including a cough, fever, or other respiratory issues are advised to contact their regular doctor first.
• If you are sick, stay home.
• Commit to excellent personal hygiene, including regular hand-washing, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Monitor the latest information on COVID-19 in Florida and across the United States:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Florida Department of Health

What is the new coronavirus?

The symptoms of the new coronavirus are similar to seasonal influenza, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Both are infectious respiratory illnesses, but they're caused by different viruses.

Both cause fever, cough, body aches and fatigue, and both can result in pneumonia. Both illnesses can sometimes cause vomiting and diarrhea and can be spread from person to person by sneezing, coughing or talking.

Common good-health practices such as frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and staying home from work or school if sick, can help control both illnesses.

Neither respond to antibiotic treatment, but both may be treated by addressing symptoms, such as reducing fever.

There are some distinct differences between COVID-19 and the flu: Flu is caused by several types of viruses, while COVID-19 is caused by the new coronavirus, which is also called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.

Johns Hopkins said there is some evidence COVID-19 could be airborne "meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer near."

There is no vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus as there is against influenza. Scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine for the new coronavirus, although none currently exists.

A company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has shipped vials of its novel coronavirus vaccine to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for further research.

Here is a county-by-county breakdown of the new coronavirus cases involving Florida residents and people visiting Florida:

Patch Editor Deb Belt and Megan VerHelst, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.