Health Department: First Coronavirus Case In Florida Keys
MIAMI (CBSMami) - While coronavirus cases continue to climb in Broward and Miami-Dade, the Florida Keys just received their first one.
The Department of Health reports there is a presumptive positive coronavirus case in the Florida Keys.
According to a Monroe County official, the FDOH said this is a traveled-related case. No other details have been released.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has yet to confirm this case.
The Florida Department of Health will release more details on this case Friday.
Earlier in the day, Monroe County officials announced plans to close all hotels, guest houses, short-term rentals in RV parks and vacation rentals in response to the coronavirus beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The only exception is for long-term renters in vacation homes and R/V parks with contracts of 28 days or more, who are presently in the Keys. They are to be allowed to remain until the conclusion of their contracts.
The county is keeping its parks and beaches open for groups of less than 10 people. Libraries are also open.
Restaurants are operating with limited capacity. Bars and night clubs are closed, as they remain statewide.
In an abundance of caution, three tourist attractions in Key West have closed to the public.
The Southernmost Point, Smathers Beach and the sunset celebration at Mallory Square, where crowds gather nightly to watch the sunset, all closed last Tuesday.
Due to the threat of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the three Monroe County courthouses in Key West, Marathon and Plantation Key are now closed to the general public "with the exception of those persons needing to conduct mission-critical proceedings" as well as "persons needing to conduct business with the Clerk of the Court and the State Attorney's Office at the Plantation Key Government Center."
Entry to court facilities is limited to "attorneys, litigants, witnesses and essential personnel necessary to conduct the critical mission of the court."
Monroe County Chief Judge Mark Jones issued the directive March 18th following direction from the Florida Supreme Court. The directive remains in effect through April 17th.
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