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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFeds say there is community spread of coronavirus in Florida. DeSantis disagrees.
BY SAMANTHA J. GROSS, BEN CONARCK, AND ZACHARY T. SAMPSON HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU
MARCH 10, 2020 09:49 PM
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert on the federal Coronavirus Task Force, plainly stated Tuesday that Florida is one of four states with community spread of the disease and therefore elevated risk.
What were saying today is that although we keep coming in and saying appropriately that as a nation the risk is relatively low, there are parts of the country right now that are having community spread in which the risk there is clearly a bit more than that, Fauci said. And you know the places: Washington state, California, New York and Florida.
But here in Florida, state officials in Gov. Ron DeSantis office directly contradicted Fauci.
When asked about the doctors comments, governors spokeswoman Helen Aguirre Ferré provided this statement to the Herald/Times: As Governor DeSantis stated [Monday], there is no community spread of COVID-19 in Florida at this time.
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Good thing there isn't a bunch of elderly people in Florida - this could become a tragedy!
woodsprite
(11,915 posts)They're in their 80s, dad has alzheimer's, but he still lives at home with mom. Both Trump voters and believe in everything he and his cronies say/do. Not sure how much they still go to church, but I know they interact with neighbors, go to concerts, just went on a bus trip to someplace down there.
maryellen99
(3,789 posts)Its full of elderly people who I suspect 95% are Trumpies. Its going to spread through that state like wildfire, especially in elderly trump supporter enclaves like The Villages and Marco Island.
snowybirdie
(5,227 posts)NOT HERE
maryellen99
(3,789 posts)Im scared for the elderly down there. Im terrified for my mom here in Michigan. Shes 78 and is diabetic/has congestive heart failure. If she gets this, shes in big trouble.
Phoenix61
(17,006 posts)happen when it gets into the nursing homes. So many of the care providers work at multiple facilities or do private duty. I wonder if/when they are going to close places like Disney/Epcot etc.
SunSeeker
(51,557 posts)They voted for Trump. They voted for this shitstorm.
mmbrevo
(123 posts)el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)mcar
(42,331 posts)spanone
(135,834 posts)So DeSantis knows more than the doctors...Gee where have I heard that before?
scarletlib
(3,411 posts)So far his only plan is maybe using some military installations for hospitals. Its going to be up to counties and cities to manage on their own. I live in Palm Beach County and the people in charge here are competent and will do the best they can to manage.
I am already removing myself from public interaction as much as I can. I have food and cleaning staples and will now start using on-line grocery items as needed.
Only an idiot would deny community spread. I expect in the next 2 weeks it wii get really bad.
Floridas big problem is that its economy lives and dies by the tourist dollar. The state government is going to delay action just because of this alone.
malaise
(269,004 posts)BusyBeingBest
(8,052 posts)that the virus is limited to one person who gets off a plane from China or Italy and gets sick quietly at home, with no other contact, no cab or uber rides, no stops at the store, no pumping gas, no touching payment pads, no eating out, etc. That stopped being true in January. It's all over the place now, most people wouldn't even know they're circulating it unless they're sick enough to see a doctor. I've had cold symptoms, or allergy symptoms, this week (getting better) and I assume it's not coronavirus but how would I know for sure?