The Florida Department of Health said in a statement that there are two presumptive positive coronavirus COVID-19 cases in the state.
According to FL-DOH, the first patient is an adult Manatee County resident without travel history to countries identified for restricted travel by the Centers for Disease Control.
The second patient is an adult from Hillsborough County with a travel history to Italy.
Both patients are being treated in isolation and will remain in isolation until they are cleared by public health officials.
The FL-DOH is working closely with the patients, their close contacts and health care providers to isolate and monitor persons who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and implement testing of anyone who may develop COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure. FL-DOH said most people can recover from COVID-19 without needing special treatment, but the elderly and those with high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems are more likely to develop serious illness.
The department recommends avoiding contact with people who are sick, washing hands frequently with soap and water, and sneezing or coughing into a tissue then throwing it away to prevent contracting and spreading the disease.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a public health emergency in response to the two COVID-19 cases in the state.
Health officials say despite these two cases in Florida, the overall immediate threat to the public remains low.
