Coronavirus: How Orange County leaders are preparing for a potential outbreak

Central Florida preparing for coronavirus outbreak

The CDC has confirmed two cases of the coronavirus in Florida.

ORLANDO, Fla. - It's official: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed two cases of coronavirus in Florida.

One patient is a 20-year-old woman from Hillsbourough County who recently traveled to Italy where there is an outbreak. The other is a 60-year-old Manatee County man.

Both patients are in quarantine and the State Department of Health is monitoring people they came in contact with them.

So far, 23 people have been tested across the state. Eight of those tests are not complete yet. Right now 184 people are being monitored.

Leaders in Orange County are making plans to respond to a potential outbreak. They are encouraging people to call them if they have any questions or concerns.

Orange County is setting up a hotline for coronavirus-related questions. They have protocols in place to quarantine a potential coronavirus patient and officials are stepping up sanitizing buildings.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings says he is cautiously optimistic they’re ready to respond and reduce the spread of the virus if it shows up here.

“We believe it’s a matter of time before we have a case right here in our back yard.”

Orange County says right now they’re monitoring 30 people for the coronavirus and fewer than 10 have been tested for it.

If you think you have the virus, health officials say isolate yourself and call the county.

As a precaution firefighters are using a special decontamination system in its ambulances to protect the crew and patients.The county is also stepping up cleaning the convention and Amway centers and adding sanitizer dispensers to help prevent germs from spreading.

County tourism leaders say so far no events have been canceled in the area and they’re making sure major event locations are properly cleaned and sanitized.

Health Coronavirus Us Fl/orange County/orlando