Florida coronavirus update for Wednesday, March 11: In-state cases climb to 23

The Florida Department of Health announced late Tuesday there are an additional eight positive tests for coronavirus bringing the in-state total to 23.

Of the cases, 21 are of Florida residents and two are of out-of-state visitors. Another five Floridians who had traveled to China also have tested positive for coronavirus, but they are being treated out of state and yet to return to Florida.

Officials say the eight people are being cared for and isolated. The seven new Florida resident cases are all labeled as travel-related. They include a 68,year-old man from Nassau County, 73-year-old man and 68-year-old woman from Collier County, 67-year-old and 64-year-old men in Pinellas County and a 46-year-old man in Pasco County.

The new out-of-state case found in Florida is of a 68-year-old female Georgia resident in Alachua County.

To date, the state also has found four cases in Broward, two each in Volusia, Manatee and Lee counties, and one each in Hillsborough, Santa Rosa, Charlotte and Okaloosa counties.

Two of the Florida cases have proved fatal, both individuals who had traveled internationally.

Here’s the latest information on coronavirus in Florida and its impact for Wednesday, March 11. This story will be continually updated with more information throughout the day as we confirm it.

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Cases update (as of 11:48 p.m. Tuesday)

Number of confirmed cases of Florida residents in Florida: 21

Number of Florida resident cases repatriated and isolated out of state until healthy: 5

Number of cases from other states diagnosed in Florida: 2

Number of pending test results: 155

Number of negative test results: 222

Number of deaths in Florida: 2

Number of people being monitored: 319

What’s happening today

With a no-sail order lifted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Caribbean Princess docked at Port Everglades before dawn Wednesday. The ship was ordered to remain at sea late Sunday after it was learned that two crew members had earlier been on the Grand Princess, based in San Francisco, where 19 crew members tested positive for the coronavirus.

Also out of Port Everglades, three people who tested positive for coronavirus in Broward County might have come into contact with more than 50,000 Princess Cruises travelers over three weeks. The three work for Metro Cruise Services, which provides guest services for arriving and departing cruise passengers. And chances are good that passengers of five Princess Cruises ships encountered at least one of Metro Cruise Services’ 150 local employees before or after any of 11 voyages that departed the port’s Terminals 2, 4 or 19 over 24 days beginning Feb. 12.

Coronavirus continued to wreak havoc on Central Florida’s business travel and convention industry on Tuesday with a sixth large conference canceling at the Orange County Convention Center as an internal Orange County Emergency Operations memo obtained by the Sentinel provided a more detailed glimpse at just how many cancellations are hitting local hotels.

Finding enough poll-workers for next week’s elections was already a challenge for Orange County, but problems have been exacerbated by concerns over coronavirus. The disease complicated the recruiting process for Orange County Elections Supervisor Bill Cowles, who must staff 247 voting precincts with a minimum of five people at each site for Tuesday’s presidential primary and some local races.

AdventHealth launched on Tuesday a free coronavirus information line, 877-VIRUSHQ, calling it a “one-stop-shop" for Floridians who have questions about the new virus and the illness COVID-19. The health system has also launched a coronavirus resource website at www.CoronavirusSignsAndSymptoms.com.

Columnist Scott Maxwell weighed in on the coronavirus scare, saying we’re doomed if our health relies on Florida politicians. “Please don’t listen to politicians,” he pleads -- highlighting the recent actions of Rep. Matt Gaetz, former Gov. Rick Scott, and Sen. Marco Rubio.

Orlando theme parks and tourism

Venues like the Amway Center, the Orlando Shakes and the Orlando Science Center are taking precautions to keep facilities sanitary and patrons safe. Here’s a sampling of what major venues are doing.

A Florida couple who were looking forward to their bucket list cruise to Hawaii say they were instead trapped on a ship that was crawling with confirmed coronavirus patients for nearly a week. Now they’re suing the cruise line for more than $1 million in damages. Princess Cruise Lines should have made them aware of the risk of contamination before allowing cruisers aboard the Grand Princess, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in California.

Orlando International Airport

The airport said it is taking additional measures “to maintain a safe and resilient operation," including:

Installation of hand sanitizer stations throughout the airport.

Increased cleaning at “high touch point areas,” including escalator handrails, elevators, seating areas, restrooms and food court areas.

Using specialized equipment to deep clean certain areas, including restrooms, federal inspection stations and U.S.

More frequent cleaning of airport shuttle buses.

The airport also said that some airlines have revised policies on changing and canceling flights; travelers should check with the airlines.

Schools/education

Following a call with the Florida Commissioner of Education this morning, the school districts for Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties decided that all student field trips involving air travel will be suspended immediately through the end of the current school year. District and school staff members will work with parents and travel companies on appropriate cancellation arrangements.

Sports and events

The Ivy League on Tuesday canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments because of concerns about spread of coronavirus. You can can follow along with sports cancellations around the world here.

Amid coronavirus concerns, the NBA, MLS, MLB and NHL are closing all locker rooms to the media and nonessential personnel until further notice. The Orlando Magic and Orlando City will observe the new policy implemented after recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control.

The Coachella music festival that draws tens of thousands to the California desert near Palm Springs every April was postponed until October.

UCF

Check out this UCF page for coronavirus updates.

What else we know

The March 10 coronavirus situation report from the World Health Organization states global cases are at 113,702 with 4,012 deaths. The majority of those are in China where the outbreak started, but the death toll outside of China is now approaching 1,000.

Alarming clusters of the coronavirus swelled on both coasts of the U.S. on Tuesday, with 70 cases now tied to a biotech conference in Boston and infections turning up at 10 nursing homes in the hard-hit Seattle area.

Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden abruptly canceled rallies because of worries about the virus, and New York’s governor announced he is sending the National Guard to scrub public places and deliver food in a New York City suburb that is at the center of the nation's biggest known cluster of infections.

On Wednesday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee will announce a ban on gatherings and events of more than 250 people in virtually the entire Seattle metro area to try to stop the spread of the outbreak, said a person involved in the planning of the decision. The order would not prohibit the operation of workplaces and is not expected to include school closures, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Santa Clara County in California, home to San Jose and Silicon Valley, on Monday announced a ban on all gatherings of 1,000 people or more.

At least 24 people have died in Washington from COVID-19, most in the Seattle metro area. Nineteen of the deaths are linked to one suburban Seattle nursing home and authorities in King County said the virus has spread to at least 10 long-term care facilities

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency as cases statewide jumped by 51 from the day before, to 92. Of that number, 70 are now connected to a meeting held last month by biotech company Biogen at a hotel in downtown Boston.

The United Nations announced it would close its New York headquarters to the public and suspend all tours.

And one of the biggest resort operators in Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International, said it would close buffets at all of its Las Vegas Strip casinos as a precaution.

Something to think about

A top federal health official pointed to Europe, rather than the virus’ point of origin in China, as the likely source for the infection’s continued spread to the U.S. “Right now the epicenter -- the new China -- is Europe,” Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Capitol Hill. “And there’s a lot of people coming back and forth from Europe that are now starting to seed these communities.”

Coronavirus tip for the day

As the novel coronavirus spreads and quarantine becomes a very real possibility, you might wonder what items would be best to stock in your pantry. A registered dietician has some tips.

Symptoms? Do this

Call your health-care provider if you have cough, fever and shortness of breath -- and you’ve been in close contact with someone how has COVID-19 or has recently traveled to one of the following countries, where the virus transmission is widespread: China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea.

How to protect yourself

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home when you are sick and avoid contact with persons in poor health.

Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

Clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Follow these recommendations for using a face mask: CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask. The masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of masks are also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings.

Questions? Here are numbers to call

The Florida Department of Health has set up a call center to answer questions about coronavirus. There’s a number for Orange County, too.

The Florida Department of Health’s number is 1-866-779-6121 and is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can also email questions to [email protected].

In Orange County, the number to call is 407-723-5004; it’s available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For accurate, up-to-date information, visit

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

The Florida Department of Health: floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19. For questions, call the COVID-19 call center at 866-779-6121 or email [email protected].

A live map of COVID-19 cases around the globe: gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

You want to be extra-prepared? Here’s how to stock up before a pandemic: ready.gov/pandemic

For the latest coronavirus updates, visit OrlandoSentinel.com/coronavirus and follow @orlandosentinel on Twitter.

See complete coverage at OrlandoSentinel.com/coronavirus

This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com.

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