Third Broward resident tests positive for novel coronavirus, state officials say
Florida health officials on Sunday announced another positive case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in Broward County. The state health department confirmed the new case in a social media post that said the patient, a 67-year-old man, is currently isolated.
This marks the 12th confirmed case in Florida during a weekend marked by heightened fears of the spread of the virus and pointed pronouncements from governments in the U.S. and abroad.
While cruise ships remained offshore awaiting test results, the U.S. State Department warned citizens not to take cruises. Federal authorities stated that the government has shifted its approach from containing the novel coronavirus to mitigating its impact, acknowledging the growing number of cases in the U.S. By Sunday afternoon, there were more than 500 cases in 33 states, with 21 deaths.
Political leaders in Italy, where cases and deaths increased dramatically over the weekend, placed 16 million people in the northern region of the country under quarantine, about a quarter of the population. A top infectious disease expert in the U.S. suggested that such a regional lockdown could become necessary stateside.
“I don’t think it would be as draconian as nobody in or nobody out,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Fox News Sunday. “But if we continue to get cases like this, particularly at the community level, there will be what we call ‘mitigation,’ where we have to essentially do social distancing, keep people out of crowded places, take a look at seriousness, do you really need to travel, and I think it’s particularly important among the most vulnerable.”
Speaking on CNN’s Sunday morning program “State of the Union,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told Jake Tapper that the country is moving past the point of trying to completely contain the virus.
“We’re shifting into a mitigation phase, which means that we’re helping communities understand you’re going to see more cases. Unfortunately, you’re going to see more deaths but that doesn’t mean that we should panic,” he said.
The Florida Department of Health, which announced the new Broward case via Twitter, did not indicate if the man had a recent travel history. The Broward County arm of the state health department did not respond to a request for information Sunday evening.
Updates from Palm Beach and Manatee counties
Late Saturday, the Florida Department of Health confirmed that an 81-year-old woman in Manatee County tested presumptive positive for the novel coronavirus. Cases that are confirmed in state labs are considered presumptive positive, pending final confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
The Manatee County woman had traveled overseas, according to the health department. She is the second Manatee County resident to test positive.
“This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. She has a history of recent travel outside of the United States,” the health department said.
On Sunday, a man who attended a medical conference in Palm Beach County in recent weeks tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Pennsylvania, where he lives. Officials did not disclose the age of the man, who notified the Pennsylvania Department of Health of his symptoms. Pennsylvania state health officials notified Florida’s Department of Health that the man had tested positive for the virus.
Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner told reporters the man worked in an exhibitor booth at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Forum on Feb. 28. He was representing the biotechnology company Biogen at the conference. The organizers of the forum have advised all attendees of the diagnosis, and the operators of the Palm Beach County Convention Center have notified employees and vendors.
“There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Palm Beach County,” said Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner. “We will remain diligent and proactive.”
Palm Beach officials did not detail the man’s condition or if he had interacted with anyone outside the conference.
The man’s employer, Biogen, has become the center of an outbreak in Massachusetts. Of the almost 30 cases statewide, most are related to a management meeting held by the company in Boston, according to Masslive. All 175 attendees have been asked to self-quarantine by the company.
Tallahassee working overtime
In Florida’s capital, officials from across the state government met to coordinate the response to COVID-19.
At the state emergency operations center in Tallahassee Sunday afternoon, Surgeon General Scott Rivkees met with top Department of Health staff in a conference room. Department of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz made his rounds around the building, and representatives from various state departments like the Agency for Healthcare Administration and Department of Elder Affairs took seats at their respective desks in the building’s nucleus.
But still, many desks remained empty, awaiting word from Moskowitz and, ultimately, Gov. Ron DeSantis, that more backup is needed.
DeSantis called on Moskowitz’s agency to activate at what’s called “Level Two” to coordinate the state’s response to coronavirus. What that means, Moskowitz said, is that he has the flexibility to set hours for staff and call in state agencies to join the effort. Right now they are working slightly extended hours, seven days a week.
If DeSantis calls a state of emergency, Moskowitz could eventually call a “Level One” response, which opens the emergency operations center 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It would also trigger the 67 county emergency operations centers to activate local response.
“Obviously the Department of Health was the lead agency, but now that’s broadening,” he said. “My guess is come Monday, you’re going to see it ramp up more ... I don’t know necessarily if we’ll go to a Level One.”
That will depend on the situation, he said.
As coronavirus cases in Florida continue to mount, the agency has “beefed up” its planning, and has already placed orders for necessary products ahead of time.
For instance, Moskowitz has ordered a fresh supply of N95 masks weeks ago, which will come in soon, he said. The agency has also put out orders for items like antibacterial gel, which have started to disappear off shelves statewide.
Bigger plans for items like field hospitals are also in the works, he said.
“What I’m doing is I’m putting in orders now, so that they’ll be ready to be filled when it might be needed,” Moskowitz said. “Rather than waiting until someone says, ‘Oh, I need antibacterial gel,’ and then I’m putting the orders and waiting 10 days to get it.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 7:01 PM.
