Another Florida case of coronavirus found in Santa Rosa County, DeSantis says
A man in his 70s from Santa Rosa County has been diagnosed with coronavirus in Florida, and four more Floridians in other states have been diagnosed with the flu-like illness, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday.
The man had traveled internationally but is apparently too ill to answer questions about his trip, DeSantis said. The governor did not say where the person was being treated.
“He’s not in shape to fully answer all the questions, so there is an investigation ongoing,” DeSantis said.
Five other Floridians who had traveled to China, the source of the virus, are being isolated in other states, he said. That includes a person who is currently residing in Washington. The locations of the other four were not released.
DeSantis said federal authorities stopped all five upon their return from China. If they do not show symptoms within 14 days, they’ll be released and allowed to return to Florida, he said.
The Santa Rosa County man tested “presumptive positive,” but DeSantis said health officials are “highly confident” that another test by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will confirm the test.
Another 69 tests are pending, and health officials are currently monitoring 248 people, according to the Florida Department of Health’s website.
Florida has identified three other cases of coronavirus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19. One is a woman in her 20s in Hillsborough County.
She traveled from northern Italy, where there is an outbreak, and passed through Tampa International Airport and is is self isolating at home. Another woman, who is also self isolating in Hillsborough County and is connected to the first patient, also tested positive. Her exact relationship is unclear, though state officials said she also made a trip to Italy.
A Manatee County man in his 60s was hospitalized in late February with other underlying conditions and was diagnosed after showing symptoms of pneumonia. He has not traveled to countries with known outbreaks, according to state officials. It’s unclear how he contracted the virus.
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 12:01 PM.
