Golf carts at the main square of The Villages in Florida | AP Photo Coronavirus spreading in The Villages

TALLAHASSEE — At least five residents from The Villages have contracted the coronavirus through community spread or close contact with someone else who had the virus, according to the Florida Department of Health in Sumter County.

The Villages is a rapidly growing retirement community of more than 50,000 residents that spans three north central Florida counties. Most of the community is in Sumter County, where 29 people have tested positive for the virus as of Friday.


At least 16 of the 29 residents who tested positive had contracted the virus while traveling, and another eight residents remained under investigation.

Five residents either became infected through the community, or after having close contact with someone who also tested positive, Megan McCarthy, a DOH Sumter County spokesperson, said.

At least 34 people in Florid have died from Covid-19 and at least 2,900 people have been infected, according to the state Department of Health.

The Villages last week became one of the first locations in the state to receive a 250-bed mobile hospital from the Florida Division of Emergency Services.

McCarthy said The Villages has closed facilities and outdoor squares where residents typically congregate for events.

“Even the dog park has been closed down — any place where people might end up in close contact,” McCarthy said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis opened a mobile testing site in The Villages on Monday through a partnership with University of Florida Health. Testing capabilities there are faster than other sites around the state. A university official said during a Monday news conference that test results can be returned in about an hour.

Part of The Villages extends into Lake County, where 24 people have tested positive for the virus. Efforts to reach the health department office there were unsuccessful.

A small part of the community is in Marion County, where eight people have tested positive. It wasn’t known if they were Villages residents, said Christy Jergens, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health in Marion County.

The governor's office did not respond to requests for comment.