Florida’s coronavirus outbreak has now killed 419 people and infected nearly 18,000, as the global death toll surpassed 100,000 Friday.
Within the state, 48 new deaths were reported Friday, along with more than 1,100 new cases. It matches Thursday’s 48 deaths which marked largest day for fatalities. Central Florida’s death toll is now 47, including one new fatality each in Lake, Volusia, Seminole and Polk counties. There were two deaths announced Friday in Sumter County. The state on Friday amended Orange County deaths from 13 to 12, although it’s not clear why.
Central Florida now has 2,253 cases. Orange County leads the region with 902, followed by Osceola’s 305, Polk’s 241, Seminole’s 238, Volusia’s 190, Lake’s 149, Brevard’s 121 and Sumter’s 107. (See details on all Central Florida cases here).
Osceola County leaders announced on Friday that all residents will be required to cover their noses and mouths with a mask or cloth when going out in public. Violation of the order is a second-degree misdemeanor. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he is considering a similar order but he is concerned if everyone would be able to obtain masks and whether the order is enforceable.
Central Florida leaders continue to press the state and federal government for much-needed personal protection equipment such as N95 masks, gowns and hand sanitizer.
Orlando has received about 10% of its requested equipment, according to a letter sent by two local members of Congress, while Demings has said Orange County has also received a fraction of its requests.
“We did receive some shipments today,” Demings said Friday. “We had, for example, put in a request for a shipment of 20,000 [bottles of] hand sanitizer to distribute throughout the county and we got about 10,000 in today. Things are beginning to come in, and that’s the good news, but we haven’t yet received the quantities from the state that we need.”
Hard-hit South Florida is the epicenter of the state’s outbreak, with 10,410 total cases among Miami-Dade (6,300), Broward (2,679) and Palm Beach (1,431) counties, making up 60 percent of Florida’s cases.
In Broward County, a crew member who was hospitalized after two ill-fated cruise ships with coronavirus patients were finally allowed to dock at Port Everglades has died, officials said. Wiwit Widarto, 50, of Indonesia, had tested positive for COVID-19, raising the Holland America Zaandam’s coronavirus-related death toll to four.
Nationwide, with over 490,000 cases, the U.S. death toll is more than 18,000. Worldwide, there are nearly 1.7 million cases and over 100,000 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.
The outbreak’s effects on daily life continued to spread. Universal Orlando extended the shutdown of its theme parks and hotels through at least May 31. Publix stores made their aisles one-way to to keep people further apart. OUC announced power bill cuts, and auto insurers rolled out discounts and refunds.
Orange County Public Schools postponed graduation ceremonies, possibly until June or July. UCF won’t hold in-person classes until the fall. And following other arts groups, Orlando Ballet and The State Theatre in Eustis have canceled the rest of their seasons.
More and more South Florida cities and local governments are asking — or requiring — people to cover their faces while out in public. In Daytona Beach, police are using talking drones to enforce social distancing.
Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he did not have a date on public schools reopening but he hopes conditions would allow it to happen this school year. Social distancing guidelines have forced schools to remain closed until the end of the month amid uncertainty over when the 2.9 million children who attend public schools can return to their classrooms.
Friday data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation out of the University of Washington, once again decreased the projected total deaths for both Florida and the U.S. The data, which has been among the most utilized to form the Trump administration’s reaction to the pandemic, now projects Florida will see between 1,218 and 10,293 fatalities by June 21, with the median projected deaths at 3,999. That’s lower than Wednesday’s projection of 4,357, which was down from Sunday’s projection of 6,770. The same model’s median projection for U.S. fatalities is 61,545, down from 81,766 for the nation projected last Sunday.
The model assumes people will continue to observe strict social distancing measures such as Florida’s stay-at-home order through the end of May.
DeSantis said during a Thursday press briefing at the state Capitol that he was working to further expand testing, including widening the criteria for who can get tested at government-run testing sites.
Priority has been given to health care workers, emergency first responders and seniors. The governor, however, did not elaborate on who might become eligible under the expansion.
DeSantis said he wants to test people who have had repeated close contact with somebody who contracted COVID-19 but never developed symptoms themselves.
“This idea of an asymptomatic carrier and then how they would interact with the public, I think that’s important to know now as we continue to work to slow the spread,” DeSantis said. “But beyond this period, people that are asymptomatic, how much are they spreading it? How many of them have it? I think those are going to be good answers to have.”
DeSantis said the state would be taking over federally supported drive-thru testing sites near Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami after Friday. The sites are currently limited to 250 swabs a day, but DeSantis said the state is sending thousands of swabs to the sites and hopes to see more than 700 swabs taken daily.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management sent out one of the biggest shipments of supplies in the department’s history on Thursday, DeSantis said. The state of Florida was shipping 2 million surgical masks, 300,000 face shields, more than 50,000 containers of hand sanitizer, 500,000 shoe covers, more than 100,000 gowns and 350,000 gloves. That brings the total supplies sent out by the state to 5.2 million masks, 500,000 face shields, 4.75 million gloves and 275,000 gowns.
Click here for a timeline of how the coronavirus crisis grew in Central Florida.
You can find a running summary of the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Orlando area and Florida below. Also, sign up for new daily Florida coronavirus update by subscribing to The Health Report newsletter and as-they-happen Breaking News emails at OrlandoSentinel.com/newsletters.
Latest news
Unionized Disney Facilities & Operations cast members will continue to receive benefits during furlough
Under a union agreement reached with Walt Disney World Resort Friday evening, unionized Facilities & Operations Services cast members at the resort will continue to receive employee benefits during a company-wide furlough starting later this month.
On Friday, North America’s Building Trades Unions Craft Maintenance Council and Walt Disney World Resort released a joint statement saying furloughed union members would retain their health insurance benefits coverage, educational benefits and the support of employee assistance programs during the resort’s employee furlough starting April 19.
Orlando Health starting plasma therapy on COVID-19 patients
Orlando Health physicians have started treating severely-ill COVID-19 patients with the plasma from those who have recovered from the disease, a process called convalescent plasma therapy.
The health system announced on Friday afternoon that the first patient received the therapy on Wednesday.
The patient, 52-year-old Michael “Kevin” Rathel, received the experimental infusion around midnight on Wednesday, 12 hours after someone donated blood that turned out to be compatible with his.
Many high school coaches support FHSAA not pulling plug on playoffs yet
Is the Florida High Athletic Association dragging its feet and delaying the inevitable in not calling an end to spring sports for 2020? Or is the association, which postponed but stopped short of canceling its state playoffs, being prudently patient while waiting to see if the coronavirus can be contained?
Coaches of area high school spring sports teams that responded to an Orlando Sentinel survey this week are split on this subject. But 52 of 94 who replied (55%) say the association and school districts should continue to wait to see if COVID-19 can be tamed in time to allow school to resume and seniors to take the field again for one last hurrah.
XFL suspends operations, Tampa Bay Vipers disbanded
After one incomplete season, the XFL has suspended operations and terminated nearly all of its league and team employees.
The sudden end of the second coming of the WWE-financed professional football league came as a surprise, especially since the league made clear its intentions to return for 2021 after being forced to cancel the final five games of the 10-week regular season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Apple and Google launch effort to track coronavirus infections through smartphones
Apple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.
Florida jobless claims system appears to fall further behind despite ‘test week’ for improvements
In what was billed as Florida’s “test week” for its backlogged unemployment system, the state appears to be falling further behind, as hundreds of thousands continue to wait for benefits in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s only for $211, but I desperately need it,” said Deborah Collins, of Summerfield, just north of The Villages, who’s been trying to get benefits since mid-February, when the Aunt Fannie’s restaurant in Belleview where she worked as a server shut down after a fire.
DeSantis expands coronavirus testing to get a better handle on virus’ spread
Florida will expand testing for the coronavirus to better gauge how widespread infections have become, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday.
During a news conference in Jacksonville, the governor said the state will begin allowing anyone with coronavirus symptoms to get tested at three government-run sites in Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami. The governor also opened testing to anyone who may be asymptomatic but had close contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Osceola requires masks cover noses and mouths in public
Osceola County leaders said Friday all residents will be required to cover their noses and mouths with a mask or cloth while out in public.
County chairwoman Viviana Janer announced the new rule at a Friday press conference in response to the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the county just south of Orlando.
Conoravirus killing blacks in Florida’s larger cities disproportionately
As state health officials began to release racial data on COVID-19 victims this week, a new and sobering picture of the crisis has emerged showing African-Americans make up nearly one-fourth to one-half of Floridians dying in many major metropolitan areas — including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Although the data is still limited, especially for Florida as a whole, areas with the largest coronavirus caseloads are being reported for the first time in recent days, following pressure by public health advocates and at least one state representative for more transparency.
Windermere widow of coronavirus casualty: “I believe he’s another angel”
Barbara Greene’s greatest fear as her husband Jules lay dying of coronavirus was that she would never see him alive again. The 82-year-old wasn’t sick but worried she could be contagious, so she stayed at her Windermere home alone, praying for her husband to recover.
Barbara knew the church-going, jazz-loving man who could cook and make her laugh was dying, and it pained her not be with him.
Then April 1, the day before he died, the hospital allowed her 15 minutes at his bedside. The 81-year-old man was in a coma on a ventilator.
Kissimmee Utility Authority to cut bills
The Kissimmee Utility Authority announced Friday it will use $8 million saved from the declining price of power-plant fuel to temporarily reduce bills for residential and commercial customers.
The power provider said that typical residential users will see a nearly 15 percent reduction in bills from May through August, with some monthly adjustments.
KUA has 80,000 customers in Osceola County. Many utilities are moving forward with bills reductions and other assistance during the COVID-19 crisis.
Orlando Utilities Commission, with more than 200,000 customers, on Thursday proposed to dedicated $12 million for assistance.
MLB discusses new plan to relaunch in Arizona and Florida
After MLB swiftly downplayed its lambasted Arizona relaunch plan, MLB has emerged with a new idea to bring baseball back as soon as possible in 2020, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.
The league has discussed using Arizona and Florida, which host MLB’s spring training games, as dual hubs for a regular season, according to USA Today. MLB’s two-state solution would hope to restore baseball to the country by restricting Grapefruit (Fla.) and Catcus League (Ariz.) players to their respective Spring homes and the surrounding ballparks, meaning no travel between the two regions. All with the goal of playing ball during the pandemic without contributing to its spread.
Cases spike at prison near Pensacola
A privately run state prison near Pensacola reported a spike in positive coronavirus cases late Thursday, with 26 new inmate cases and one new staff case, according to the latest Florida Department of Corrections update.
2 dead, dozens sick after festival
They came for a party — and they got one. For one week, they danced shoulder to shoulder with strangers on the beach and in clubs around town.
But the Winter Party Festival that drew thousands of gay men to Miami Beach in early March might have exposed them to the highly contagious coronavirus. At least 20 people who attended the weeklong fundraising event for the LGBTQ community have tested positive for the virus. Two have died.
MSNBC airing coronavirus special with Richard Engel
“On Assignment with Richard Engel” is back this Sunday with an hourlong episode dedicated to coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the second coronavirus-focused episode from the special, ongoing series with Engel, an award-winning NBC News chief foreign correspondent.
5 more ways attractions are opening up to fans
The amount of online offerings from theme parks and attractions continues to expand. Although we have some free time these days, we can’t get to all of them, let alone rank them or designate with is the best in COVID-19 history. Instead, we list five with Central Florida connections that caught our eye this week.
NASA images show less pollution over the U.S.
People are staying home along with their cars, and that means the nation’s roads are less clogged with exhaust. The results of that can be seen in images released by NASA showing the presence of nitrogen dioxide in the Northeast United States.
FSU lineman with virus: Take it seriously
Florida State offensive lineman Andrew Boselli is urging people to take the coronavirus seriously after the 22-year-old contracted the deadly virus. Boselli, who is a senior, announced on Friday that he has fully recovered from COVID-19.
Testing centers have battle plan for storms
Thunderstorms are expected to pass through Orlando on Monday which could hinder COVID-19 outdoor testing operations. The forecast will be sort of a dress rehearsal for how operators at testing sites will respond in the event of an early tropical storm passing through the area.
Fauci: Antibody tests expected next week
The top U.S. infectious disease official says coronavirus antibody tests are just days away. Dr. Anthony Fauci says at the last White House coronavirus task force meeting, the people responsible for developing, validating and disseminating the tests were saying “a rather large number of tests” will be available within a week.
An antibody test could show whether a person was recently exposed to the coronavirus. Fauci told CNN on Friday the test would say “that you were infected and if you’re feeling well you very likely recovered.” Fauci says medical experts could then try to determine how deeply the virus has spread in the country and whether previously infected people would be vulnerable to reinfection, which is particularly “important for health care workers.”
Impact by the numbers: Economy, travel trends and more
Beyond the numbers of cases and deaths, there are other figures that help explain the impact COVID-19 is having on our state, country and world. Here are some of the many ways COVID-19 is impacting the lives of Americans across the country.
Pregnant during a pandemic: Coronavirus adds stress, fear
An Orlando Sentinel journalist shares her experiences of being pregnant during a pandemic:
“We seemingly entered a movie set — 29 weeks pregnant during a global pandemic. A nurse in full PPE (gown, gloves, mask and goggles) opened the door and pointed to clipboards on a table outside. I pulled my own pen from my purse to fill out the questionnaire: Have you traveled in the last 14 days? Have you been in contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19? Do you have any of the following symptoms?”
Roadblocks set up in Europe as authorities hope to discourage travel, gatherings on Good Friday
People around the world began observing Good Friday from the safety of their homes, as rare divisions surfaced in Japan over how to tackle the growing coronavirus outbreak there.
Politicians and public health officials have warned that the hard-won gains against the pandemic must not be jeopardized by relaxing social distancing over the Easter holiday weekend. Across Europe, where Easter is one of the busiest travel times, authorities set up roadblocks and otherwise discouraged family gatherings.
Tourism lobbyists want taxpayer help for advertising agencies
Tourism industry lobbyists are pressing Congress and the Trump administration to extend emergency aid meant for small businesses to taxpayer subsidized advertising agencies such as Visit Orlando and Visit Florida.
“That’s a huge priority of ours,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, a lobbyist for the U.S. Travel Association, whose members include tourism businesses such as the Walt Disney Co., Marriott international Inc., Carnival Corp. and Avis Budget Group Inc.
Publix makes aisles one direction because of coronavirus
Publix has added directional floor markers to keep customers going one way down aisles in an effort to keep them farther apart because of coronavirus.
The Lakeland-based grocery store giant, which has more than 100 stores in Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties, began adding the markings on Wednesday.
Orlando Ballet latest arts group to cancel rest of season
Orlando Ballet has canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season, the company announced Thursday afternoon.
The move follows other arts groups, such as Orlando Shakes, Orlando Repertory Theatre and Opera Orlando, that already have ended their seasons prematurely because of COVID-19.
US seeing fewest airline passengers since 1950s
The number of Americans getting on airplanes has sunk to a level not seen in more than 60 years as people shelter in their homes to avoid catching or spreading the new coronavirus.
The Transportation Security Administration screened 94,931 people on Wednesday, a drop of 96% from a year ago and the second straight day under 100,000.
Universal: Parks will be closed at least through May 31, many employees’ pay cut to 80%
Universal Orlando has extended the coronavirus shutdown of its theme parks and hotels through “at least” May 31, and it will cut many of its employees pay to 80 percent of their normal amount, the resort said Thursday.
It will furlough its part-time hourly team members effective May 3, it said.
Help promised for jobless
Meanwhile, travails continued for the state’s jobless as Florida’s unemployment system remained overwhelmed by a deluge of claims for benefits. After weeks of embarrassment, the state hopes it has tamed the troubled system, which has locked out thousands of unemployed workers since the coroanvirus paralyzed the economy in late March.
A new “mobile friendly” website went online Wednesday to accommodate incalculable numbers of people who have been unable to break through on the agency’s failed CONNECT system. People who have been unable to connect should now use FloridaJobs.org/RAApplication, the agency said.
The old school paper application, submitted by mail, was pressed into action this week to circumvent the computer problems.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that the number of initial claims in Florida for the week ending April 4 fell by 58,599 to 169,885.
Tip of the day
COVID-19 can spread through respiratory droplets that are produced from coughs or sneezes. The best way to avoid contact with these respiratory droplets is by practicing social distancing and standing at least 6 feet away from other people.
Symptoms? Do this
Call your health-care provider if you have cough, fever and shortness of breath — and you’ve been in close contact with someone how has COVID-19 or has recently traveled to one of the following countries, where the virus transmission is widespread: China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea.
How to protect yourself
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick and avoid contact with persons in poor health.
Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
Clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow these recommendations for using a face mask: The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Follow these guidelines for using a cloth mask.
Questions? Here are numbers to call
The Florida Department of Health has set up a call center to answer questions about coronavirus. There’s a number for Orange County, too.
The Florida Department of Health’s number is 1-866-779-6121 and is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can also email questions to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
In Orange County, the number to call is 407-723-5004; it’s available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For mental-health help, here is a list of resources.
For accurate, up-to-date information, visit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
The Florida Department of Health: floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19. For questions, call the COVID-19 call center at 866-779-6121 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
A live map of COVID-19 cases around the globe: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
You want to be extra-prepared? Here’s how to stock up before a pandemic: ready.gov/pandemic
For the latest coronavirus updates, visit OrlandoSentinel.com/coronavirus and follow @orlandosentinel on Twitter.
See complete coverage at OrlandoSentinel.com/coronavirus.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
