March 26th 2020 FL Dept. of Health COVID-19 Update

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2020

Contact: Joint Information Center on COVID-19 for the State of Florida (850) 815-4940, ESF14@em.myflorida.com

Florida Department of Health Updates New COVID-19 Cases, Announces Five New Deaths Related to COVID-19, 11 a.m. EST Update

~2,235 positive cases in Florida Residents and 120 positive cases in non-Florida residents~

TALLAHASSEE —To keep Florida residents and visitors safe, informed and aware about the status of the virus, The Florida Department of Health has launched a COVID-19 dashboard that will be updated twice daily. Today, as of 11 a.m., there are 2,355 total** Florida cases.

Five people have died who tested positive for COVID-19 in Clay, Hillsborough and Orange counties.

New Florida cases include:

378 additional positive COVID-19 cases (368 Florida residents and 10 non-Florida residents) reported to the Florida Department of Health.
There are currently 2,235 positive cases in Florida residents and 120 positive cases in non-Florida residents.

Florida recently partnered with private laboratories around the state to expand COVID-19 laboratory testing capacity. This partnership will increase the number of tests conducted each day and ensure Floridians receive the critical health information they need in a timely manner.

Expansion to private laboratories changes the COVID-19 testing landscape in Florida. Private laboratories are running tests as they receive swab samples from practitioners. Testing and reporting times vary among commercial and DOH laboratories. Demographic information may be updated during investigations. These twice daily reports reflect the state’s efforts to accurately and transparently share information.