St. Lucie County confirms first positive case of COVID-19

A 56-year-old man has tested positive for COVID-19 in St. Lucie County.

AFTERNOON& ANNOUNCING ITSFIRST CONFIRMED CASE OFCOVID-19& WPTV NEWS CHANNEL5'S LINNIE SUPALL WAS AT THEBRIEFING.SHE JOINS US LIVE WITH ANUPDATE ON THIS CASE -- ANDWHAT HEALTH OFFICIALS AREDOING TONIGHT.

LINNIE?GOOD EVENING& HERE IN SAINTLUCIE COUNTY& A 56-YEAR-OLDMAN IS NOW PART OF THE GROWINGNUMBER OF CASES HERE IN OURSTATE& BUT HEALTH OFFICIALSIMMEDIATELY SAID & THEYBEEN IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATIONWITH THAT INDIVIDUAL& AND SAIDHELATEST UPDATE&.

HESELF-ISOLATING& AND HAS BEENEXTREMEMLY COOPERATIVE&FOLLOWING ALL OF THE GUIDANCEFROM THE COUNTY AND STATE.HOWEVERÃOFFICIALS ARE STILLINVESTIGATING TO FIND OUTABOUT WHETHER THIS CASE WASTRAVEL RELATED.<< TODAYHELD AFTER OFFICIALS WERENOTIFIED BY A PROVIDER LATELAST NIGHT& THIS COMES AS WECONTINUE TO SEE GROWINGNUMBERS OF CORONAVIRUS CASESTHROUGHOUT OUR STATE&ACCORDING TO THE FLORIDADEPARTMENT OF HEALTHÃTHEREARE MORE THAN 650 CASES INFLORIDA RIGHT NOW& A MASSIVEJUMP FROM LAST WEEKEND WHENTHERE WERE A LITTLE MORE THAN100 REPORTED CASES.

THATMAIN REASON WHY WEOFFICIALS SAY TIME AND TIMEAGAIN& TO STAY AT HOME IFYOUABOUT HAND WASHING AMD SOCIALDISTANCING.

ANOTHER IMPORTANTREMINDER THAT THOSE SIMPLEACTIONS CAN SLOW THE SPREAD OFTHE VIRUS SIGNIFICANTLY.[HOWARD TIPTON/ ST.

LUCIECOUNTY ADMINISTRATOR]“THEWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HASSHARED THAT FROM THE FIRSTKNOWN CASE IT TOOK THREEMONTHS TO ACHIEVE 100,000CASES AND THEN IT TOOK 12 DAYSTO ACHIEVE THE SECOND 100,000CASES AND SO WHEN WE TALKABOUT SLOWING THE SPREAD WHICHIS WHAT ALL OF THESEACTIVITIES ARE ALL ABOUT,WESPREAD OF THIS DISEASE, ITREALLY IS IMPORTANT&NOT JUSTIN ST.

LUCIE COUNTY, BUTAROUND THE STATE OF FLORIDA,AROUND OUR NATION ANDCERTAINLY AROUND THE WORL”SAINT LUCIE HEALTH OFFICIALSWILL CONDUCT A COMPLETEINVESTIGATION AS IT NAVIGATESITS FIRST CONFIRMED CASE OFCONFIRMED CASE OF COVID-19&ADDINGÃTHAT THIS IS STANDARDPROTOCOL&AS FOR BEACHES AND PARKS&SAINT LUCIE COUNTY OFFICIALSSAY THEYTHEM OPEN& BUT THAT COULDCHANGE AS THIS SITUATIONEVOLVES.

IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTYÃLINNIE SUPALLÃWPTVNEWS-CHANNEL 5.WITH STRICT NEW MEASURES BEINGIMPLEMENTED IN THE NATION'SHARDEST-HIT STATES