Early Voting Site On Florida's Space Coast Closed After Workers Test Positive For Coronavirus
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - An early voting site on Florida's Space Coast was forced to close on Friday after poll workers tested positive for the coronavirus.
Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott said no voters who went to the administrative office in Palm Bay, had any exposure to the sick workers because of safety precautions such as half-inch ballistic glass between the workers and the voting public.
The closure came as the Florida Department of Health on Friday reported more than 5,500 new coronavirus cases, bringing the state's total to at least 800,000 cases. The state also reported 72 resident deaths on Friday, bringing that total to more than 16,700.
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People testing positive for the coronavirus also rose, from 4.87% to 5.89%. And, the state reported there were 2,350 coronavirus hospitalizations in Florida as of late morning Friday.
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Scott did not says in her statement how long the office would be closed nor how many workers were sick.
"We have been maintaining stringent safety protocols since the Presidential Preference Primary in March," Scott said. "It is a tribute to our strict safety measures that we have been able to process almost a half a million voters through the election process this year before having our first positive case."
Scott said there were three other early voting sites within 10 miles of the closed office.
As of Thursday, 9,369 voters had used the Palm Bay early voting site.
