CDC confirms coronavirus in Manatee and Hillsborough counties. DeSantis predicts more cases

Florida’s governor is bracing for more cases of the new coronavirus, in addition to two confirmed cases in Manatee and Hillsborough counties.

Gov. Ron DeSantis made his prediction during a news conference at the Florida Department of Health’s Tampa Branch Laboratory, one of three state labs that now test for coronavirus, known officially as COVID-19. The briefing followed news of two “presumptive positive” cases of the virus, affecting a Manatee County man in his 60s, and a Hillsborough County woman in her 20s.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the test results on Monday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, DeSantis was joined by Florida’s surgeon general, Scott Rivkees, who revealed there was a 24-hour delay between state officials discovering the test results and then informing the public.

Rivkees said the CDC expanded its testing criteria on Thursday, encompassing people who were missed under the original, more limited guidelines. The state health department updated its own practices and collected samples on Friday, and it learned of the “presumptive positive” results on Saturday evening, he continued.

A delay in telling public of positive tests

Florida’s health department issued a news release on Sunday night, about 24 hours later, announcing its preliminary findings.

When asked about the delay, Rivkees said his department was focused on monitoring the patients, sending test results to the CDC for confirmation, and identifying others who were exposed to the virus.

“We had already launched full measures in terms of containment and evaluation,” he said on Monday morning. “We decided that, even though we are waiting for the CDC confirmatory testing, it was important to go ahead and inform the public.”

Officials described the two patients in Florida as being in stable condition, and the immediate threat to state residents as being low.

Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, fever or shortness of breath. With the expanded testing criteria and the ability to screen samples in Florida’s own laboratories, more cases were bound to surface, according to Florida’s governor.

“With that said, we do anticipate more will test positive,” DeSantis said.

The governor issued an executive order on Sunday night, announcing the local cases and directing both a public health emergency and statewide response protocol for the virus.

As of Monday afternoon, the Florida Department of Health website said 15 people had tested negative and eight test results were pending. In all, officials were monitoring 184 people, according to the website.

Kevin DiLallo, CEO of Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, said they were not treating coronavirus patients. One patient was tested at Manatee Memorial, but the test came back negative.

A spokeswoman for Blake Medical Center in Bradenton declined to comment.

DeSantis: VP Pence promised coronavirus aid

DeSantis recently spoke with Vice President Mike Pence, who visited Longboat Key for a National Republican Congressional Committee fundraiser last week. Pence was directed to oversee a coronavirus task force just days earlier, and while the visit attracted criticism, DeSantis said it was followed by promises of aid.

“The vice president assured us that we would have their full support,” DeSantis said on Monday.

Rivkees also provided further details on the two confirmed cases. He said the Hillsborough County woman was isolated at home, while the Manatee County resident was still hospitalized on Monday morning.

The man had no history of travel to restricted countries, leaving health officials with questions.

Tracing Manatee patient’s history

“At the present time, it is not known how this individual was exposed to COVID-19,” Rivkees said. “The Florida Department of Health is working closely with this individual, his close contacts, and health care providers to isolate and monitor any individuals who may have come into contact with this virus.”

Rivkees said the criteria for COVID-19 testing was recently expanded, to include people with “respiratory disease of unknown origin.” The state collected samples on Friday and ran tests a day later.

Since no vaccinations or medications exist to combat COVID-19, prevention was the focus of Monday’s news conference. The governor urged people to regularly wash their hands, to stay home when sick and to not touch their mouth, nose or eyes.

He said Florida was particularly focused on nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Manatee County’s CDC-confirmed case of coronavirus is being treated at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota. On Monday, the Sarasota Military Academy announced that a student and his parent were placed under quarantine after his mother made contact with the patient as an employee at the hospital.

The quarantined student did not attend SMA’s trip to the airport to greet Vice President Pence, said Christina Bowman, SMA’s executive director of schools. However, it’s currently unclear when the parent first made contact with her son and whether he then had physical interaction with classmates or the school campus.

Coronavirus is a threat to elderly residents

“Folks who are middle-aged, younger and healthy tend to weather it fine,” DeSantis said. “It tends to have the most deleterious effect on people with underlying health conditions or who are elderly.”

The surgeon general underscored new measures to identify and report possible cases. When planning travel, refer to the CDC website and avoid areas of concern, including China, northern Italy, South Korea and Iran, he said.

And when returning from an affected country, Rivkees said people should contact their county health department and self-isolate for 14 days.

“For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121 or emailing COVID-19@flhealth.gov,” the health department said in a news release.

Manatee County officials urge ‘good hygiene’

After a briefing with DeSantis on Monday morning, Manatee County public health and safety officials met in Bradenton for a discussion on how to best help the community.

“At this time there is no need for alarm, no need to cancel travel plans or community gatherings,” Public Safety Director Jacob Saur said in a news release. “The risk of transmitting the coronavirus for Manatee County residents remains low. This is a fluid event and as this progresses information and procedures will change. The community and business owners should speak with their employees about staying home when sick and the possibility of allowing employees to work from home as this develops.”

Saur urged residents to maintain good hygiene habits to avoid transmission of the coronavirus or other airborne illnesses.

“Use a tissue to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands often with soap and water and avoid touching your face and eyes with unwashed hands,” Saur said.

The school district said it had no immediate plans for any school closures because of coronavirus. The district is communicating daily with parents via its website, social media channels, automated telephone calls and its mobile app, MySDMC.

Herald reporters Jessica De Leon and Ryan Callihan contributed to this report.

This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 12:26 PM with the headline "CDC confirms coronavirus in Manatee and Hillsborough counties. DeSantis predicts more cases."