SURFSIDE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida visitor from New York who was later diagnosed with coronavirus went to Bal Harbour and Surfside, sources said, but government officials said it’s not likely he passed on the virus to anyone else during his stay.
Sources told 7News the patient was in Bal Harbour on Feb. 14 and 15. At some point, they said, he went to the Young Israel of Bal Harbour temple in Surfside.
Friday night, Helena Aguirre Ferré, communications director for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, tweeted out information about the New York resident confirmed by the Florida Department of Health.
.@healthyfla officials find that the individual from NY who tested positive for #COVID19 left Florida more than 14 days ago, which is longer than the incubation period for this virus. Therefore, it is not believed this individual developed or spread this in Miami.
— Helen Aguirre Ferré (@helenaguirrefer) March 6, 2020
In her tweet, Ferré said the patient left Florida more than two weeks ago, “which is longer than the incubation period for this virus. Therefore, it is not believed this individual developed or spread this in Miami.”
Bal Harbour officials posted the following statement on the village’s website: “FDOH officials met with Mayor Groisman and village staff regarding the recent media reports of a traveler who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and reportedly visited Bal Harbour Village at some point in February 2020. A conference call was arranged with the FDOH director for the Division of Disease Control and Health Protection, Dr. Carina Blackmore in Tallahassee, who provided more details regarding the exposure, and the likelihood the traveler was not a risk during his visit to Bal Harbour. The FDOH shared with the village in writing that, ‘To date, we have not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Miami, and the risk of COVID-19 to Floridians remains low.'”
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.