Leon County Health Department Confirms First Cases of COVID-19 

 LEON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONFIRMS 3 POSITIVE CASES OF COVID-19

March 19, 2020

Contact:

Pam Saulsby, Public Information Specialist

Direct:  850-404-6220

Mobile  850-518-5015

Pamela.saulsby@flhealth.gov

Tallahassee, FL--- The Florida Department of Health in Leon County has received confirmation of 3 positive cases of COVID-19.  One of those patients has died.

The COVID-19 positive patient who died was an out of state resident.  She was 48 years old.

The two other patients who tested positive for the virus are residents of Leon County, a 55-year-old male and a 58-year-old female. They are being appropriately isolated and treated.

No further details about these cases will be shared to protect patient privacy.

“We have expected to see cases of COVID-19 in Leon County and have been planning and preparing accordingly,” said Leon County Health Officer Claudia Blackburn.

“We are tracing individuals who have had close contact with these new cases and are at risk of infection. Those individuals will be quarantined and monitored. We know the importance of working continuously with all of our community partners to ensure that everyone is prepared in the eventuality of infectious disease spread.”

FDOH-Leon encourages our residents and visitors to take steps to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19.  Everyone can do his or her part to help. Your cooperation is integral to the ongoing public health response to try to slow the spread of this virus.

Take Steps to Protect Against Spreading Viruses

If you are mildly ill, follow these tips to help prevent spreading it to other people:

• Do not go to the emergency room if you are only a little sick. The emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. You should not go to the emergency room if you are only mildly ill. The CDC has guidance on what to do if you are sick from a mild viral illness: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/treatment/takingcare.htm and https://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/index.html
• Stay at home while you are sick and keep children out of school or daycare while they are sick.
• Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.
• Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away.
• Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys and doorknobs.

The Leon County Health Department is working with the Florida Department of Health and the CDC to ensure staff is following the most up-to-date protocols and procedures for dealing with this rapidly evolving situation.

Please visit the Department’s dedicated COVID 19 webpage at www.FloridaHealth.gov/COVID-19. The webpage remains the best and most up to date resource for information and guidance regarding COVID-19 in Florida.

For questions related to COVID-19 in Leon County, please contact the department’s COVID-19 Call Center at 850-404-6300.  Residents can also call the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 Call Center. Phone lines are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The CDC also has a dedicated website with information related to COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

###