Editor's Note: If you think you might have COVID-19, contact the Alachua County Health Department at (352) 334-7900 or the Student Health Care Center at (352) 392-1161.
Alachua County’s third confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced by the Florida Department of Health tonight.
The patient is a 69-year-old male and non-Florida resident visiting from Europe, according to the state department press release. This brings the number of confirmed cases of the virus in Florida to 71. Yesterday, the state had 46 cases.
Since the second case in the county was announced on Thursday evening, there have also been discrepancies with information provided by the state department.
According to a Thursday evening press release from the state department, the second confirmed case is a 24-year-old female who is known to have traveled to Europe recently. But Paul Myers, administrator for Alachua County Department of Health, wrote in a text message to The Alligator that the patient is actually a 24-year-old male.
On Friday afternoon, however, the state department of health’s website updated the case’s information, listing the patient as a 20-year-old male.
When asked about the conflicting information, officials from the state’s Joint Information Center on COVID-19 wrote in an email that “epidemiological investigations are still ongoing” and as a result, information may need to be clarified or updated.
“The Florida Department of Health reports information on COVID-19 as soon as it is available,” the email read. “We strive to deliver accurate information as quickly as possible to ensure information is reported.”
It is unknown if they’re a UF or Santa Fe College Student.
Several people are being tested for the virus in the county, local officials said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon. While they wouldn’t give details on how many people are being tested, they said there is no shortage of lab tests.
The first case confirmed, a 68-year-old woman from Georgia, is under quarantine in the county, Myers said at the conference. Those who came in contact with her are also under quarantine, he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Ken Garcia, spokesperson for UF Health Shands, wrote in an email to The Alligator that Shands had its first confirmed case of a patient with the virus.
In the email, he wrote that the woman is from Georgia and The Georgia Department of Health is taking the lead on the epidemiological investigation.
He declined to say whether the patient is the same as the 68-year-old Georgia woman under quarantine in the county.
Contact Alex De Luca at adeluca@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @AlexLDeLuca.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
