Florida Department Of Health: 2 Presumptive Positive Coronavirus Cases In Broward, 2 Florida Deaths
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Florida Department of Health announced two new presumptive positive coronavirus cases in Broward County.
Officials said the cases in Broward involve a 75-year old male and the other is a 65-year-old male who will continue to remain isolated.
The announcement was made via Twitter late Friday night.
They said a third case was an individual in their seventies who had died in Lee County.
The Department of Health also announced that a person had died in Santa Rosa County from a previously-announced case.
Both of those patients died following international trips, officials said.
.@HealthyFla has announced 3 new presumptive positive Florida #COVID19 cases: 2 in Broward County that are isolated and 1 in Lee County that is deceased. A previously-announced case in Santa Rosa County is also deceased. For #COVID19 updates, visit https://t.co/e1S8bGG26U
— Florida Dept. Health (@HealthyFla) March 7, 2020
The Florida Department of Health said it is working with the patients, potential close contacts of each case and health care providers to isolate and monitor persons who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and implement testing of anyone who may develop COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough or shortness of breath.
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In presumptive positive cases, results have been found positive by state labs, but confirmation is still needed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The number of Florida-related coronavirus cases has steadily increased, after initial announcements last weekend. The Department of Health website listed 12 positive cases, with six involving Florida residents in the state, five involving residents out of the state and one non-resident who is in the state.
The state also had 88 pending test results, and 278 people were being monitored, the Department of Health website said late Friday. Another 100 tests had been negative.
COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, on Dec. 31, and has spread to dozens of countries, with cases popping up in various U.S. states. The virus can be particularly danger for seniors and people with other medical conditions. There is no vaccine to prevent the virus.
"Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath," the Department of Health said in the announcement late Friday. "Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure. Most people recover from the COVID-19 without needing special treatment. The elderly and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness."
Earlier Friday, Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier sent a memo to health insurers advising them to consider "all practical options to reduce the barriers of cost-sharing for testing and treatment" of COVID-19.
"Consumers may seek a variety of forms of healthcare in connection with COVID-19, including, but not limited to, physician office visits, laboratory testing, urgent care services, and emergency services," Altmaier said in the memo. "It is important to remove actual or perceived barriers to testing for COVID-19. Consumers could be reluctant to seek testing or treatment due to other anticipated costs."
Click here for the latest information on coronavirus cases in Florida.
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