TALLAHASSEE, FL — A third Florida resident has died from the new coronavirus as health officials reported 25 new cases in the state early Saturday morning and state education officials recommended school districts add an additional week of spring break to their calendars.

Water, paper towels, toilet paper and disinfectant wipes remained among the most sought after items in Florida stores as numerous events were postponed, grocery stores limited hours and some movie theaters planned to reduce theater capacity to stem the spread of the illness.

The 42-year-old mayor of Miami became the most high-profile person in Florida to become infected, causing the city's police chief and city manager to also self-quarantine.

The mayor of Florida's largest city self-quarantined himself Thursday as did U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez after meeting with Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro during his recent visit to Florida.

"I was informed that I have tested positive for COVID-19," Miami Francis Suarez said Friday in a video statement. "I feel completely healthy and strong. However, I am doing the responsible thing by working with the county's health department to take every precaution to ensure that not only my family is healthy, but everyone I have come in contact with is healthy as well."

"If we did not shake hands, or you did not come into contact with me if I coughed or sneezed, there is no action you need to take whatsoever," Suarez assured. "If we did, however, touch or shake hands, or if I sneezed or coughed near you since Monday, it is recommended that you self-isolate for 14 days, but you do not need to get tested."

Bolsonaro's press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, tested positive for the new coronavirus after accompanying his president on the Florida visit, which included a stop at President Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort. The president said he will "most likely" get tested too though he insisted he has no symptoms.

The new cases bring the total number of Florida residents with the illness to 69 plus one person from California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Texas, Europe and two from New York, who were tested in Florida, according to state health officials. See an updated county-by-county breakdown at the bottom of this story. See Florida Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Coronavirus

A 68-year-old Orange County woman became the third person from Florida to die from the virus, according to the Florida Department of Health. She tested positive in California after traveling to Asia.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said next week's presidential primary in Florida would continue as planned, but polling sites that are located in assisted living facilities would be discouraged from allowing the general public to vote at those locations.

Florida's other two deaths from the new coronavirus involved elderly patients in Santa Rosa County and Lee County, both of whom suffered from serious underlying conditions. See: Interactive Map: Latest US Coronavirus Cases

As of Saturday morning, there had been a total of 145,374 confirmed cases of the illness and 5,429 deaths around the world, with the majority still in Hubei, China, according to information compiled by Johns Hopkins University. A total of 71,694 people have recovered from the illness. Don't miss updates about precautions in Florida as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.



The governor has said at least 11 of the state's total cases are linked to a Nile River cruise that took place in February or March. State health officials are asking Florida residents to self-isolate if they took the Nile River cruise between Feb. 4 through Feb. 18 from the date of their return.

Five of Florida's confirmed cases involve people who traveled to China and were placed in quarantine by federal officials in other states.



A New York attorney who tested positive for the new coronavirus also traveled to Miami in early February — days or weeks before he became ill. He is not counted in the total because he is a resident of New York. See New York Coronavirus Patient Had Traveled To Miami In February and Coronavirus Outbreak: Tips To Prepare At Home

The new cases announced Saturday include two from Orange County, six from Miami-Dade, nine from Broward County, two from Manatee County, three from Palm Beach County and one each from Volusia County and Osceola County



COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when someone coughs or sneezes. These droplets may land on objects and surfaces. Other people may contract the virus by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

Health officials said there haven't been any asymptomatic transmissions of the illness, meaning that people can only acquire COVID-19 from somebody who has the illness. Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure. Most people recover from COVID-19 without special treatment. The elderly and those with underlying medical problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems, obesity and diabetes are more likely to develop serious illness, the health department said.

Public Health Guidance On Virus Prevention:



Do not go to an emergency room unless absolutely essential. Those with symptoms including a cough, fever, or other respiratory issues are advised to contact their regular doctor first.

If you are sick, stay home.

Commit to excellent personal hygiene, including regular hand-washing, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Monitor the latest information on COVID-19 in Florida and across the United States:

What is the new coronavirus?

The symptoms of the new coronavirus are similar to seasonal influenza, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Both are infectious respiratory illnesses, but they're caused by different viruses.

Both cause fever, cough, body aches and fatigue, and both can result in pneumonia. Both illnesses can sometimes cause vomiting and diarrhea and can be spread from person to person by sneezing, coughing or talking.

Common good-health practices such as frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and staying home from work or school if sick, can help control both illnesses.

Neither respond to antibiotic treatment, but both may be treated by addressing symptoms, such as reducing fever.

There are some distinct differences between COVID-19 and the flu: Flu is caused by several types of viruses, while COVID-19 is caused by the new coronavirus, which is also called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.



Johns Hopkins said there is some evidence COVID-19 could be airborne "meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer near."

There is no vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus as there is against influenza. Scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine for the new coronavirus, although none currently exists.

A company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has shipped vials of its novel coronavirus vaccine to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for further research.

Here is a county-by-county breakdown of the new coronavirus cases involving Florida residents and people visiting Florida:



County

Age Gender Known International Travel 1. Manatee 63 male No 2. Hillsborough 29 female Yes 3. Santa Rosa 71 male Yes 4. Broward 75 male No 5. Broward 65 male No 6. Lee 77 female Yes 7. Lee 77 male Yes 8. Charlotte 54 female Yes 9. Okaloosa 61 female Yes 10. Volusia 66 female Yes 11. Manatee 81 female Yes 12. Broward 67 male No 13. Volusia 60 female Yes 14. Broward 69 female No 15. Nassau 68 male Yes 16. Collier 73 male Yes 17. Collier 68 female Yes 18. Collier 64 female Yes 19. Pinellas 67 male Yes 20. Pinellas 64 male Yes 21. Pasco 46 male Yes 22. Miami-Dade 56 male Yes 23. Broward 70 male Under Investigation 24. Broward 61 male Yes 25. Broward 65 male Under Investigation 26. Lee 57 male Yes 27. Seminole 68 male Yes 28. Palm Beach 73 male Yes 29. Palm Beach 74 male Yes 30. Sarasota 50 female Yes 31. Miami-Dade 42 male Under Investigation 32. Alachua 24 male Yes 33. Volusia 70 female Yes 34. Duval 83 male No 35. Clay 57 male No 36. Broward 27 female No 37. Broward 25 female Yes 38. Hillsborough 68 female Yes 39. Broward 36 male Yes 40. Broward 49 female Yes 41. Lee 77 male No 42. Orange 41 male Under Investigation 43. Osceola 54 male Under Investigation 44. Miami-Dade 51 male Under Investigation 45. Manatee 67 female Yes 46. Manatee 62 female No 47. Volusia 29 male Yes 48. Palm Beach 59 female Yes 49. Palm Beach 65 male Yes 50. Miami-Dade 42 male Under Investigation 51. Miami-Dade 77 female Under Investigation 52. Broward 59 male Under Investigation 53. Miami-Dade 37 male Under Investigation 54. Miami-Dade 39 female Under Investigation 55. Broward 20 female Yes 56. Broward 83 female Under Investigation 57. Broward 41 male Under Investigation 58. Broward 20 female Yes 59. Broward 19 female Yes 60. Broward 22 female Under Investigation 61. Broward 19 male Yes 62. Broward 58 male Under Investigation 63. Miami-Dade 43 male Under Investigation 64. Palm Beach 37 male Under Investigation Non-resident from Georgia

isolated in Florida. 68 female Yes Non-resident from California

isolated in Florida. female Yes Non-resident from New York

is isolated in St. Johns County. 63 male Yes Non-resident from New York

is isolated in Sarasota County. 50 male Unknown Non-resident from Massachusetts

is isolated in Sarasota County. Non-resident from Texas

is isolated in Broward County. Non-resident 69-year-old

man from Europe tested positive

in Alachua County. Five other cases involved

Florida residents who traveled

to China and were placed in

quarantine in another state

upon their return. NA NA Yes

Patch Editor Deb Belt and Megan VerHelst, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.

