No cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Miami but preparations for potential impacts from the virus are ongoing, Mayor Francis Suarez said Monday.
Suarez held a news conference Monday to discuss how the city is preparing to deal with a possible spread of COVID-19, after two people in Florida were confirmed to have tested positive for the virus.
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"We're monitoring on a day-to-day basis, right now we don't have any cases in the city or in the county," Suarez said. "We are treating this as we would be preparing for a major storm, meaning an outbreak may or may not affect us. As this situation evolves, the City of Miami will adjust accordingly."
Suarez said Miami's Department of Fire-Rescue's Division of Emergency Management has been actively planning for several weeks, participating in regular calls with the Florida Department of Health and following the guidance of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Among the main issues the city is dealing with is the upcoming Ultra Music Festival, scheduled to begin March 20 at Bayfront Park. Suarez said the city has been meeting with Ultra organizers and want them to update their safety plan for the event, but otherwise the city will be following CDC recommendations for mass events.
"What makes Ultra different is it is an event that brings people from across the world," Suarez said. "If you are sick, we ask you to stay home and we ask you to limit your person-to-person exposure."
The two cases that tested positive in state involve a man in his 60s in Manatee County, and a woman in her 20s in Hillsborough County. Both were in stable condition and receiving medical care while being kept in isolation until they were medically cleared.
At a news conference earlier Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state was monitoring 184 people for COVID-19. As on Monday, a total of 23 people have been tested in the state, including the two positive cases, 15 that came back negative, and six that were awaiting results, DeSantis said. Around 800 people in total have been monitored in the state since late January, DeSantis said.
U.S. health officials updated the nation’s count of coronavirus cases to 91 on Monday.
