HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Florida health officials are looking into a third presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Hillsborough County, the governor's communications director announced Tuesday.
According to Helen Aguirre Ferré, the latest patient lived with another who had already tested positive for the virus.
At a news conference Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced one of the two COVID-19 cases confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include a Hillsborough County woman in her 20s who had recently returned from northern Italy. In that conference, DeSantis said the woman's roommate may have been exposed.
The governor also said the confirmed patient's sister, a California resident, might have been exposed. The Florida Department of Health said it is working closely with the woman's contacts to monitor anyone else who might have been exposed.
Stronger measures for screening passengers prior to boarding in Italy and upon arrival in Florida will soon be put in place, DeSantis said.
The governor said he expects more people to test positive for the virus in Florida, but that the overall threat to the public remains low. He urged people to heed the advice of the CDC: wash your hands often, avoid touching your face and stay home if you're feeling sick.