About 70 Gulf Coast Medical Center employees had high- or moderate-risk exposures to two Lee County patients who tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, hospital administrators said Saturday.

One of the patients died Thursday.

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And:Lee County public health officials assessing spread of COVID-19 after patient's death

So far, no hospital staffers have shown signs of the virus, but those most at risk are being kept in isolation for further monitoring, according to Lee Health, which operates the health center in south Fort Myers.

"Employees, medical staff and others who have come in contact with either of the confirmed cases are being evaluated," Larry Antonucci, Lee Health's president and CEO, told reporters Saturday.

The Florida Department of Health has not said how many other people outside the hospital might have been exposed. A message left Saturday with the department's office in Tallahassee was not returned.

There have now been two deaths in Florida, marking the first fatalities outside the West Coast. The other death was in Santa Rosa County.

The state Health Departmenthas confirmed 14 positive COVID-19 cases, including the first presumptive positive case in Charlotte County, which was announced Saturday. A presumptive positive means a positive test result awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Charlotte County case was a female in her 50s, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at an afternoon news conference, and had traveled to the Egypt-Israel area.

"That's actually similar to the fellow in Santa Rosa County who passed away," DeSantis said.

Eight of those positive cases are Florida residents, five are people who were repatriated and one is a non-Florida resident. A repatriated case is when the U.S. State Department officially coordinates the return of a Florida resident to the United States.

The state reported 100 negative test results and 88 test results pending, with 278 people currently being monitored and 1,010 people monitored to date.

DeSantis on Saturday morning ordered the state's Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to "Level 2" to coordinate response to the outbreak.

Fort Myers cases

At Saturday's news conference in Fort Myers, Lee Health released new details about the two people who tested positive for COVID-19. One of those patients, a female in her 70s, died Thursday morning. The second patient remains in the intensive care unit.

Antonucci said the two patients arrived by ambulance to Gulf Coast's emergency department around noon Wednesday showing signs of "severe respiratory distress."

"Both were elderly with underlying health issues," Antonucci said. The patient who died had traveled outside the country, but public health officials would not say where she had been.

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The hospital is not releasing any additional information about the two, citing federal patient privacy regulations.

Hospital staff took swab samples of both to get tested for the virus at a state lab in Miami. The test takes 24 hours to 48 hours to perform. Lee Health received the results Friday evening, Antonucci said.

Lee Health spokeswoman Mary Briggs said the hospital system had not experienced a backlog on testing.

Stephanie Stovall, an infection prevention specialist for Lee Health, said the patients wereback a week before they sought medical attention.

"(T)he individual is isolated and being appropriately cared for," the department tweeted.

Stovall said about 30 employees had high-risk exposures — contact with the patients via their hospital rooms. Another 30 to 40 employees had less direct contact and had a moderate risk of exposure to the virus, she said.

Lee Health officials said the COVID-19 cases have not affected everyday operations of Gulf Coast. Patients who have emergency health needs can still use the ER safely, Stovall said. But she urged patients who have less acute health problems, or are simply worried about the coronavirus, to call their own doctors or an urgent care center.

More:What Lee County officials are doing to prepare

And:What Collier County officials are doing to prepare

Saturday's news conference was aimed at reassuring the public that county officials are taking the threat seriously and are taking steps to prevent its spread. Members of law enforcement, the Health Department and Lee County government also attended.

Brian Hamman, chairman of the Lee County Commissioners, told reporters that the county has been proactive in preparing for the spread of the virus by sanitizing as much as possible including public transportation and county facilities.

Hamman said the county was not activating the Emergency Operations Center at this time.

"It is important to listen to your health provider," Hamman said. "We are a tourist destination. We try to take appropriate precautions."

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said his department is ready to deploy whatever resources are needed.

Antonucci said he believes the overall risk to the community is low. Stovall urged residents to practice good hygiene habits — particularly regular, 20-second handwashing with soap and water — to help prevent the spread of the virus. A 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer is also effective.

Additional information on COVID-19 and Lee Health’s preparedness plan is available at www.leehealth.org.

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