Recently, there has been conflicting information about people in Jacksonville being monitored for the coronavirus. 

According to News4Jax, “The local Health Department said Monday there are no suspected cases of people being monitored for COVID-19, but some city sources told News4Jax there could be a small number of people under observation”.

Local news also claims that the Communication Director for Florida Department of Health in Duval County, Samantha Epstein said there were no local cases. However, later in the day other sources said the department was monitoring a ‘single-digit number of cases.’

On Saturday afternoon, people sent tips to news outlets about a cruise ship docked in Jacksonville that had a staff member displaying flu-like symptoms.

Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted in response of the incident, confirming that the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department was called to the Cruise Terminal and took the patient to UF Health:

2. The crew member has been transported to UF Health and is being assessed. Currently, we don’t know the cause of illness, but we are taking every precaution until we know more.

— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) February 29, 2020

3. We are working with Federal and State health professionals and will provide an update when we have new information.

— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) March 1, 2020

According to Brian Huges of the mayor’s office, that person was taken to UF Health and put in an isolation component that they have for coronavirus. The mayor says the initiation was based on the patient’s travel history and that the patient is no longer being evaluated:

2. At this time, I have been told that the patient is no longer being evaluated for COVID-19, but precautions have been and will remain in effect until health professionals complete their work.

— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) March 1, 2020

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