Coronavirus Florida: Retired nurses interested in returning to work? State hasn't waived coursework standard

Klein said she's flabbergasted that the state hadn't looked into it long ago.

Federal officials confirmed Florida's first two coronavirus cases on March 2. Florida is the third most populous state in the nation behind California and Texas, and it has large, international airports in nearly every section of the state.

Health care experts have noted that coronavirus is most dangerous to older people, people with a compromised immune system and those with underlying health conditions.

Only Texas and California have more residents who are older than 65 years old, and only Maine has a higher percentage of residents who are in that age range.

Florida's number of confirmed cases doubles every three days, rising to more than 2,300 Thursday morning. Twenty-eight Floridians have died from the virus.

Klein said the state's demographics are harbingers of a looming disaster, one she fears political leaders have not come to grips with or communicated. State residents are also in the dark, she said.

"These people have not a clue as to what's coming down the road," Klein said. "It's not here yet, but it will be here in the next two weeks. We will be deluged. It's coming."

Despite pleas from some members of Congress, Gov. Ron DeSantis has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order. He has questioned whether keeping schools closed is beneficial, and, like President Donald Trump, he has frequently discussed the importance of maintaining economic viability as the battle against the virus is being waged.

As of Thursday morning, five states had more confirmed coronavirus cases than Florida, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University, which has been tracking data related to the outbreak. Florida remains closely aligned with Michigan behind the four states with the most cases: New York, New Jersey, California and Washington.

Florida's confirmed caseload is likely depressed by a limited testing regime. Palm Beach County, for example, is the third-most populous county in the state, but has no drive-thru testing center. People who fear they might have contracted the virus are still complaining about an inability to be tested.

>> Palm Beach County last in testing per capita