Florida governor announces two cases of novel coronavirus in the state

Two cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Florida, according to state officials.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis updated the conditions of the two Florida residents in a press conference Monday.

The first patient is a man in his 60s who is hospitalized in Manatee County, the governor said. That individual has pneumonia and is in stable condition at a hospital. He did not travel to any areas impacted, so it’s unclear how he contact the virus. He’s currently in isolation.

The second patient is a woman in her 20s in Hillsborough County. That individual recently returned from northern Italy. She is in stable condition and remains in isolation at home.

“Despite these cases, the threat to the overall public remains low. With that said, we do anticipate that more will test positive and we have taken additional action to help contain the virus’s spread,” he said.

DeSantis said a total of 23 people in the state have been tested. The state is currently monitoring 185 cases, and almost 800 have been monitored in total.

In a second press conference Monday, DeSantis also urged places with high amounts of senior citizens, like assisted living facilities or nursing homes, to take precautions. Senior citizens, especially those with underlying conditions, are among the most vulnerable to the virus.

“I mean, to let somebody come in who had just come back from Italy, who has symptoms, would be a huge mistake,” he said. “We certainly are concerned given our demographics … if those folks are not watching whose coming in, then you could end up seeing this virus transmitted and then that would not be good.”

The Florida Department of Health will continue to update details on the virus on its website.