Monday coronavirus update

COVID-19 closures — Beach closed for coronavirus, Gulfport, Florida. By Seán Kinane / WMNF News (21 March 2020).

COVID-19 beach closure — Sign indicating closure for coronavirus, Gulfport, Florida. By Seán Kinane / WMNF News (21 March 2020).

Here is a link to many coronavirus resources

There are now 1,171 positive cases of COVID-19 in Florida.

According to the Florida Department of Health website, as of Monday morning, there had been 14 deaths in the state.

Here’s the county-by-county breakdown: In Hillsborough there have been 73 positive tests, 40 in Pinellas, 15 in Manatee, 19 in Sarasota, 13 in Pasco and 13 in Polk

As of Monday morning, the CDC website reports there were 15,219 total positive coronavirus cases in the U.S., with 201 deaths.

The nCoV2019.live website has much higher numbers: 465 deaths and more than 35,000 cases in the U.S.

The Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group will meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday. WMNF will carry audio of the meeting live.

Listen to the MidPoint Monday show here

On the show, we heard from a UPS worker who is helping to organize fellow workers to demand access to protective gear like rubber gloves, masks and hand sanitizer. They will wave signs beginning at around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the corner of 50th Street and Acline Dr. E. in East Tampa. Information: 800-742-5877; petition here.

Governor Ron DeSantis is urging Floridians to stay home and not panic about the spread of the coronavirus. Nearly half the state’s positive cases are in Southeast Florida. DeSantis held a news conference Sunday in Miami Gardens at the site of a drive-thru testing site. Sunday it opened for first responders and health care workers only. Monday, the site will be available for testing members of the public who are 65 and older, and who have symptoms of the illness.

The U.S. Secret Service says an employee has tested positive for the coronavirus. The agency said in a statement early today that it will continue to monitor the employee’s condition. The employee is in quarantine. The agency says it determined after an assessment that the employee has had no contact with other employees or anyone the agency is responsible for protecting for nearly three weeks.

The hunt for ventilators and other medical supplies is consuming the U.S. and Europe, as new virus infections soar. Political paralysis stalled efforts for quick aid from Congress and more governments tightened restrictions. That sent U.S. stock market futures and many Asian markets down. Medical supplies and hospital space are in short supply. Spain erected a field hospital in a convention center. British health workers pleaded for more gear, saying they felt like “cannon fodder.”