Here is a link to many coronavirus resources
According to the Florida Department of Health website, updated Monday morning, there are now more than 26,600 positive coronavirus cases in the state. 789 people have died in Florida. More than 3,800 people are hospitalized; that’s a number that continues to grow. There are almost certainly more cases because not everyone is tested.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that there have been more than 39,000 deaths in the U.S. due to coronavirus and more than 746,000 Americans are infected. The U.S. has far more positive cases and deaths than any other country.
Here’s the county-by-county breakdown of the number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the Tampa Bay area:
In Hillsborough, there are 971 (with 19 deaths), in Pinellas 604 (with 16 deaths). There are 428 in Manatee (with the most deaths in the region — 31 deaths), 289 cases in Sarasota (with 24 deaths), 139 in Charlotte, (with 9 deaths), 207 in Pasco (with 3 deaths), 84 in Hernando (with 3 deaths), 84 in Citrus (with 8 deaths) and 330 in Polk (with 12 deaths).
On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cleared the way for the Surgeon General Scott Rivkees to start allowing the names of nursing homes with positive coronavirus cases to be listed in the daily reports. The state released a list of 303 long-term care facilities with1,694 reported cases of COVID-19. There have been 169 deaths.
Desantis also said Florida students would not return to in-person classes this semester.
On Monday evening, DeSantis released his “Re-Open Florida Task Force Executive Committee”
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- Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Lieutenant Governor of Florida
- Jimmy Patronis, Florida Chief Financial Officer
- Ashley Moody, Florida Attorney General
- President Bill Galvano, President, Florida Senate
- Speaker Jose Oliva, Speaker, Florida House of Representatives
- Senator Wilton Simpson, President-Designate, Florida Senate
- Representative Chris Sprowls, Speaker-Designate, Florida House of Representatives
- Commissioner Richard Corcoran, Commissioner of Education
- Jamal Sowell, President & CEO, Enterprise Florida, Inc.
- Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Mayor, Miami-Dade County
- Mayor Dale Holness, Mayor, Broward County
- Mayor David Kerner, Mayor, Palm Beach County
- John Couris, President & CEO, Tampa General Hospital
- Josh D’Amaro, President, Walt Disney World Resort
- Todd Jones, CEO, Publix Super Markets
- Syd Kitson, Chairman, Board of Governors for the State University System
- Paul Reilly, Chairman & CEO, Raymond James Financial
- Alex Sanchez, President & CEO, Florida Bankers Association
- Eric Silagy, President & CEO, Florida Power & Light Company
- John Sprouls, CEO, Universal Orlando Resort, Executive Vice President, Universal Parks & Resorts
- Patrick Sunderlin, Vice President, Global Supply Chain, Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Joe York, President, AT&T Florida and Caribbean
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Below is new information from the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center about new testing sites:
Hillsborough County Offering 3 New COVID-19 Testing Sites
Residents must first schedule an appointment by calling (813) 272-5900
COVID-19 Coronavirus Update No. 77
Hillsborough County, Fla. (April 20, 2020) – In an effort to make COVID-19 coronavirus testing as convenient as possible to all residents, Hillsborough County will open three additional testing sites Wednesday.
The additional locations are:
Lee Davis Community Resource Center, 3402 N. 22nd St., Tampa
Plant City Community Resource Center, 307 N. Michigan Ave., Plant City
SouthShore Community Resource Center, 201 14th Ave. SE, Ruskin
As is the case at the current testing site at Raymond James Stadium, pre-screening and pre-registration are required. Testing will be administered to individuals with symptoms related to COVID-19 that have pre-registered and have scheduled an appointment through Hillsborough County’s call center at
(813) 272-5900. The call center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Raymond James Stadium remains open as a testing site. The three additional locations will make COVID-19 coronavirus testing more convenient for residents throughout Hillsborough County. The three new sites will offer drive-through testing, but a vehicle is not required as long as the resident has pre-registered and scheduled an appointment.
Pre-Screening and Pre-Registration Are Required:
Residents may get tested if they are symptomatic and have been pre-screened by calling through the Hillsborough County call center at (813) 272-5900 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There is NO CHARGE for the test administered at Hillsborough County locations.
Residents are NOT REQUIRED to have health insurance to get tested.
Should a test be scheduled for you, you will be informed of time, date, and testing location during this call.
What to Bring:
Personal vehicles MUST BE under the maximum height of 8 feet.
Limit vehicle passengers to those needing a test.
Have a photo ID with name and date of birth for all persons being tested (can be Florida driver’s license, state-issued ID, or passport).
Bring the CORRECT confirmation code provided by the call center; this can be a printed copy of the testing confirmation email received from the call center, a screen-shot of the confirmation number, or the code may be provided verbally. A printed code or screen-shot on the phone helps the process, but is not required.
You will be required to provide the following information:
1. Full name
2. Current address (where you are staying)
3. Best phone number to reach you in order to receive test results
What to Expect:
You will be greeted by a health care provider in personal protective gear who will give you instructions.
A minimally invasive test will be administered.
Do NOT eat for two hours prior to your appointment time.
Test results are not immediate. Most people will receive results within 10 days. After taking the test, you will be given information on what to do while you await the results.
You will receive test results via the telephone number you gave at the time of pre-screening.
Please be patient – calling back to check on your results will not expedite the process.
Testing sites are staffed by health care professionals in medical protective gear who are trained to test for COVID-19 coronavirus. Directional signage and law enforcement will help residents through the testing site in an orderly fashion.
People who are experiencing a medical emergency should dial 9-1-1 immediately.
COVID-19 coronavirus testing has been a collaboration among Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, the University of South Florida, and four major medical groups in the region – BayCare, Tampa General Hospital, AdventHealth, and HCA Healthcare – West Florida Division.
Get Connected. Stay Alert.
For more information on COVID-19, and any other potential emergency in the county, visit HCFLGov.net/StaySafe and sign up for the HCFL Alert system.
Additionally, you can follow Hillsborough County on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor for updates. For general County information, call (813) 272-5900, the County’s main information line.
