New Coronavirus In Florida: 6 More Cases Reported

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Six more Florida cases of the new coronavirus were announced Saturday as Gov. Ron DeSantis stressed that the state's first two fatalities involved people with other health issues.

"The two fatalities that we've seen in Florida thus far, were both elderly folks with serious underlying conditions," the governor told reporters Saturday in Fort Lauderdale.

DeSantis was joined by Vice President Mike Pence and both U.S. Senators from Florida — Marco Rubio and Rick Scott — at Port Everglades, where elected officials met earlier with representatives of the cruise ship industry. Don’t miss updates about precautions in Florida as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Meanwhile, health officials also urged any Florida residents who took a Nile River cruise between Feb. 4 through Feb. 18 to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of their return.

"Several passengers have recently tested positive for COVID-19, including two presumptive positive cases in Florida," officials said.

DeSantis said the illness has disproportionately affected older residents who have underlying health conditions.

"That is the class of folks, who are most likely, if affected by this virus, to suffer significant adverse health consequences," DeSantis said. "We've been working now with our nursing homes and assisted living facilities making sure they are instituting best practices."

A total of 16 Florida residents and one person from California were among Florida's confirmed cases posted on the state Department of Health COVID-19 website.

Here is a summary of the new cases announced Saturday by county:

• Lee County. A second case was reported in Lee County. Officials announced Friday that an elderly patient passed away from the illness.
• Charlotte County.
• Okaloosa County. Officials said this patient recently returned from a trip.
• Volusia County. This patient also recently returned from a trip.
• Manatee County. Two new cases were reported here, including an 81-year-old woman, who recently took a trip outside the United States. A third person who tested positive for the illness was described as a man in his 60s who had been hospitalized with pneumonia. That patient was reportedly discharged from Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, according to WBBH-TV.

The other death announced Friday involved a patient from Santa Rosa County, whom DeSantis described as older than 70 with a recent history of international travel.

Pence, who has appointed by President Donald Trump to head up the federal response to the COVID-19 outbreak, urged senior citizens with serious health issues to use their judgement before traveling.

"This would be a good time to practice common sense and to avoid activities, including traveling on a cruise line that might unnecessarily expose one to the coronavirus," Pence said after meeting with cruise line representatives.

Pence said federal officials are hoping to work with the cruise line industry to limit the spread of the illness.

"We're looking to the cruise line industry for action, for guidance and for flexibility with their passengers that might fall into that category," the vice president said.

Rubio and Scott agreed it is important for federal officials to work with one of Florida's key industries not only to assure the safety of the American public, but also to protect industry jobs.

"No one wants to see cruises canceled or discouraged," Rubio said.

Pence also said officials are tracking a possible cruise ship that may have shared crew members with the Diamond Princess.

The vice president disclosed Saturday that he has not been tested for the illness and did not come in contact with an infected person.

DeSantis also announced Saturday he is placing the Division of Emergency Management on an elevated state of alert to deal with the public health emergency.

“I have directed the Division of Emergency Management to activate to Level II to ensure our state has all the necessary resources engaged as we respond to COVID-19,” DeSantis said. “It is critical that we proactively coordinate all state resources to mitigate the threat and contain COVID-19. I urge all Floridians to take necessary precautions and follow hygiene guidelines issued by the Surgeon General and Florida Department of Health.”

DeSantis disclosed Thursday that five of Florida's confirmed cases involved people who had traveled to China and were placed in quarantine by federal officials. He said the five did not pose a public health threat to Florida.

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

With the threat of the new coronavirus looming, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced Friday the city has asked two of its largest festivals — Ultra Music Festival and Calle Ocho Festival — to postpone their 2020 events later this month. See Ultra And Calle Ocho 'Postponed' Over Coronavirus

The worldwide total of new coronavirus cases for the first time on Friday surpassed the 100,000 mark, according to information compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

DeSantis has already declared a health emergency in Florida. Updates regarding the new coronavirus are posted on the Florida Health website.

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.

As of Saturday, there had been a total of 106,026 confirmed cases of the illness and 3,592 deaths around the world, with the vast majority in Hubei, China, according to information compiled by Johns Hopkins University. A total of 59,922 people have recovered from 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.

DeSantis said health officials are paying particular attention to the state's nursing homes and assisted-living communities.

"We really — given our demographics here — have to look at COVID-19 and look how it has an effect on those elderly folks with serious underlying medical conditions," DeSantis 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.

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