The man is in isolation in Washington state and poses no threat to residents here, Gov. Ron DeSantis says.

Florida has chalked up a fourth case of a resident with the novel coronavirus, but the man is in isolation in Washington state and poses no threat to state residents, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference in Orlando on Wednesday.

Health authorities in Washington alerted Florida officials that the unidentified Florida man, who recently returned from China, had tested positive for COVID-19, DeSantis said.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will count the man as a Florida case even though there is no evidence he contracted the virus here.

The man is in self-isolation and will not be allowed to return to the state until he no longer carries the virus, DeSantis said, adding that he doesn’t know where the man lives.

Other than the man who is recovering in Washington, there are only two confirmed cases - a man in Manatee County and a woman in Hillsborough County, who recently returned from Italy. Her sister has been tested but the results aren’t complete. She is listed as a "presumptive positive" case by health officials.

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DeSantis struck an upbeat note about the virus while emphasizing that health officials are monitoring the situation closely and making sure the state is prepared.

"If you look at what we know about the virus, it seems if you have an underlying health condition or you’re elderly, that’s the population that typically has serious ramifications from this," he told reporters. "With most other populations, it’s been akin to a severe flu."

DeSantis said he will be holding a conference call with school superintendents throughout the state this afternoon. While decisions about whether to close schools will be made by local officials, he said he sees no evidence that such a draconian precaution is needed.

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In China, the epicenter for what some fear could become a global epidemic, few people under the age of 15 became ill, he said, referring to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Like many factors associated with the virus, it is unknown why young people aren’t impacted severely, DeSantis said. It may be like other illnesses, such as chicken pox, which typically are non-events for youngsters but can have severe consequences for the elderly.

Recognizing that Florida draws 125 million visitors a year, DeSantis said the key is keeping the virus out of the country.

He said he supports the travel restrictions the Trump Administration has imposed on China and other places where outbreaks have occurred. Such restrictions should be expanded to other areas which become hot spots, he said.

"We’re being as proactive as we can, working with our public health officials," he said. "But just understand, the risk is low."