The email states that Dunn wants to remind everyone that it is important for them to stay home unless they are an essential employee or need essential items from stores or pharmacies.

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PANAMA CITY — Congressman Neal Dunn has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

According to a Thursday email from Dunn’s office, the congressman was tested after feeling ill on Monday and visited an emergency room out of an abundance of caution.

“After meeting CDC criteria, he was tested for COVID-19 and has received notice that the results came back positive,” the email states. Congressman Dunn is feeling great and currently is quarantining himself at home per CDC guidelines and working on Phase IV of the administration’s response to the pandemic. He expects a full recovery soon.”

The email states that Dunn wants to remind everyone that it is important for them to stay home unless they are an essential employee or need essential items from stores or pharmacies.

The email adds that Dunn believes everything must be done to continue targeting vulnerable places and populations to slow the spread of the virus.

“He is keenly interested in new and faster testing to help everyone understand their risks,” the email reads. “While America continues to suffer from some sad areas of hot spots, our current actions are mitigating the worst of this disease and America will rebound in the near future.”

According to the Florida Department of Health in Bay County, as of Thursday afternoon, there were 30 reported cases of COVID-19 in the county, including two new cases confirmed on Wednesday. The latest cases include a 28-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman. Both are county residents and neither case is travel related. The man did have contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Among the total cases in the county, 29 are residents while one is a non-resident. One resident has died from the virus.

The health department is now conducting its contact investigation and working on identifying and notifying individuals who will need to self-monitor for symptoms for a 14-day period. Contact investigations are a critical way for staff epidemiologists to track and prevent the spread of disease.

A total of 383 tests have been processed for the county from private and public labs with 353 negative results with an 8% positive rate. There has been a total of five hospitalizations and one death. The residences of the 29 positive Bay County cases includes; 14 in Panama City, seven in Panama City Beach, one in Southport, five in Lynn Haven, one in Youngstown, and one in Tyndall Air Force Base. The non-resident case is from Texas.

For text alert updates from the Florida Department of Health in Bay County, text bayhealth to 888-777. For additional information specific to Bay County, visit BayHealthCOVID19.com. You may also contact the Citizens Information Center 7 days a week from 10 am – 6 pm at (850) 248-6090 or email ask@baycountyfl.gov.

To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, please visit the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 website. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), please visit the CDC COVID-19 website. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, please visit the travel advisory website.

For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling (866) 779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.