Florida

Timeline: Coronavirus updates April 1

ORLANDO, Fla. — See our complete coverage below:

Read live updates below:

EN ESPAÑOL: Resumen completo coronavirus, miércoles 1 abril: Más de 100 muertos y más de 7,800 casos confirmados de COVID-19 en Florida

9:10 p.m. update

Marion County said Wednesday evening that 30 COVID-19 cases have been reported.

The most recent individuals infected range from ages 26 to 66, according to county officials. Five of them are Ocala and two are from Summerfield. Three of the most recent cases have had contacts to another COVID-19 case in the county, and none of them traveled outside Florida.

In addition, 71 cases are now being reported in Lake County. Of those, 64 are Florida residents.

7:10 p.m. update

The Florida Department of Health reported 14 coronavirus-related deaths since this morning.

Officials said the total number of reported COVID-19 cases has increased by 818 to a total of 7,773.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Coronavirus cases in Florida

Of the cases, 7,495 cases involve Florida residents and 278 cases involve nonresidents.

The total number of deaths stands at 101.

Read: Coronavirus fact check: Are more men than women dying from COVID-19?

See a county-by-county breakdown of cases below, and click here to see a map of cases in Florida:

• Orange: 458 (393 this morning)

• Seminole: 128 (109 this morning)

• Osceola: 140 (115 this morning)

• Volusia: 93 (80 this morning)

• Polk: 91 (76 this morning)

• Lake: 71 (67 this morning)

• Sumter: 57 (52 this morning)

• Brevard: 47 (38 this morning)

• Marion: 30 (28 this morning)

• Flagler: 24 (20 this morning)

Download the WFTV news app and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for live updates on this developing story, or click here to have updates sent straight to your inbox.


6:40 p.m. update

The U.S. Coast Guard has directed cruise ships to prepare to treat any sick passengers and crew on board while being sequestered "indefinitely" offshore during the coronavirus pandemic.

The new rules outlined in a memo are required for ships in the district that covers Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Puerto Rico.

Read: FDA seeks immediate removal of heartburn drug Zantac from shelves

They also come with a stiff warning: Any foreign-flagged vessels "that loiter beyond U.S. territorial seas" should try first to medically evacuate the very sick to the countries where they are registered.

The Coast Guard said shore-side facilities are stressed and patients may be more comfortable being treated onboard.


5:40 p.m. update

President Donald Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force are giving a live update on the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to watch him speak live on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.

>>> CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE <<<

AQUÍ TENEMOS UNA SECCIÓN - EN ESPAÑOL - SOBRE TODO LO QUE OCURRE CON LA PANDEMIA DE CORONAVIRUS

5:20 p.m. update

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said there are more than 400 positive cases of COVID-19 in the county and cases could reach 500 by Friday.

He said National Institutes of Health models predict that the number of cases in the county will peak in late April or early May.

Read: Gov. DeSantis to issue stay-at-home order in Florida

Demings said the models predict there will be 7,000 deaths in Florida with 172 deaths per day during the pandemic's peak.

He said there are six hot spots for cases in the county, which is broken down by ZIP code.

• 32801 (Downtown Orlando)

• 32822 (Orlando and Azalea Park)

• 32839 (Orlando, Edgewood, Holden Heights, Oak Ridge and Pine Castle)

• 32837 (Hunters Creeks)

• 32824 (Orlando, Meadow Woods, Southchase and Taft)

• 32828 (University Park)

Demings said two more Orange County Fire Rescue employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to three.

None of them have been hospitalized, and they remain in self-quarantine, he said.

Demings said the county's rental assistance program has closed after it received more than 30,000 applications in 12 days.

He said staff members will follow up with each applicant.

Read: What we know about coronavirus: 3 things that have changed

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said an Orlando Fire Department employee has also tested positive for COVID-19 after he or she experienced flu-like symptoms last month.

Dyer said the firefighter works in an administrative role, does not come into contact with patients, is no longer symptomatic and remains in self-quarantine.

He said events of more than 10 people have been banned until the end of April in the city of Orlando.

Watch the full news conference below, and keep scrolling to continue reading the latest update:

Dr. Raul Pino, the state health officer for Orange County, said more than 3,602 people have been tested in the county with 10% of cases testing positive for the virus.

So far, 64 patients have required hospitalization, he said.

Read: Publix allowing employees to wear masks, gloves during coronavirus pandemic

Pino said the Orlando area appears to be two weeks behind other harder hit cities such as, New York City and Miami in terms of trends.

"The next two weeks are critical for us," he said. "It is in our control to stop spreading the disease around."

Read: #KeepOrlandoHome: Property managers, nonprofits raise money for rental assistance programs

He urged residents to practice social distancing, to wash their hands, to stay at home and to only leave their homes when necessary.

Pino said testing sites will be open through the weekend.

He gave the follow breakdown of cases by city:

• Orlando (272)

• Winter Park (21)

• Windermere (16)

• Ocoee (12)

• Apopka (8)

• Winter Garden (8)

• Maitland (7)

Read: Spring cleaning? Thinking about burning trash? Not so fast, burn bans in effect for parts of Central Florida

Demings said a burn ban is in place in the county because of recent dry weather. He said residents should follow the ban to not bring undue stress upon the county’s firefighters.

Click here to read more about the burn ban.

Click here to watch live, in-depth coronavirus coverage on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.


3:52 p.m. update

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings will give a live update on the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to watch him speak live on Channel 9 Eyewitness News at 4.

>>> CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE <<<


2:20 p.m. update

Seminole County officials provided an update on COVID-19.

Business and service leaders offered ways for residents to receive essential items in the county.

Seminole County leaders said there are 120 confirmed cases in the county.

Officials said nine individuals have been cleared of the virus.

Watch the press conference below:

1:20 p.m. update

Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will be signing an executive order for people to stay-at-home due to the coronavirus.

The order will “limit movements and personal interactions outside the home,” DeSantis said.

Only essential services will be allowed to operate. DeSantis said a list of services will be released and some businesses can be added to the list if they are deemed essential.

The order will begin at 12:01 a.m. April 3 and expires April 30.

DeSantis said construction on Sand Lake Road will be accelerated.

Watch the press conference below:

AQUÍ TENEMOS UNA SECCIÓN - EN ESPAÑOL - SOBRE TODO LO QUE OCURRE CON LA PANDEMIA DE CORONAVIRUS

1 pm. Update

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will hold a press conference today at 1 p.m.

We will bring you the conference live on WFTV Channel 9

>>>> TUNE LIVE WHEREVER YOU ARE <<<<

At 4pm. Orange County Mayor, Jerry Demings will hold a press conference. You can also see it live on Channel 9

President Trump will also have a press conference, along with the COVID-19 Task Force team around 5 p.m. We will also have this conference live on Channel 9.


12:40 p.m. update

The Florida Department of Health said two people have died from the coronavirus since last night.

Officials said the total number of reported COVID-19 cases increased by 214 to a total of 6,955.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Coronavirus cases in Florida

Of the cases, 6,694 cases involve Florida residents and 261 cases involve nonresidents.

The total number of deaths stands at 87.

Read: Coronavirus fact check: Are more men than women dying from COVID-19?

See a county-by-county breakdown of cases below, and click here to see a map of cases in Florida:

• Orange: 392 (373 last night)

• Seminole: 109 (103 last night)

• Brevard: 38 (37 last night)

• Osceola: 115 (110 last night)

• Lake: 67 (66 last night)

• Sumter: 52 (51 last night)

• Flagler: 20 (18 last night)

• Marion: 28 (25 last night)

• Polk: 76 (73 last night)

• Volusia: 80 (no change since last night)

Health officials said its COVID-19 testing site at the Orange County Convention Center reached capacity a little more than two hours after opening, so it closing for the day.

They said the number of tests are capped at 250. The testing site will reopen at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Click here to watch live, in-depth coronavirus coverage on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.


11:40 a.m. update

Wimbledon was canceled on Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, the first time since World War II that the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament will not be played.

The All England Club announced after an emergency meeting that the event it refers to simply as The Championships is being scrapped for 2020.

Wimbledon was scheduled to be played on the club's grass courts on the outskirts of London from June 29 to July 12.

Read: Coronavirus: Wimbledon canceled for 2020

Instead, the next edition of the tournament will be June 28 to July 11, 2021.

Also Wednesday, the ATP and WTA announced that the men’s and women’s professional tennis tours would be suspended until at least July 13. They already had been on hold through June 7.

Wimbledon first was held in 1877 and has been contested every year since, with the exception of two stretches: from 1915-18 because of World War I, and from 1940-45 because of World War II. Click here to read more.


10:30 a.m. update

The U.S. Coast Guard has directed all cruise ships to prepare to treat any sick passengers and crew on board while being sequestered "indefinitely" offshore during the coronavirus pandemic.

The new rules require daily updates on each ship's caseload.

Read: Questions remain over Florida unemployment checks: When will they come? How much will they be?

They also come with a stiff warning: Any foreign-flagged vessels "that loiter beyond U.S. territorial seas" should try first to medically evacuate the very sick to the countries where they are registered.

Many of South Florida's cruise ships are registered in the Bahamas.

Read: Coronavirus: Fun things to do while social distancing

The Coast Guard says shore-side facilities are stressed and patients may be more comfortable being treated onboard.


8:31 a.m. update

A curfew has been put into place for Daytona Beach residents in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The curfew will run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on April 2 and last until April 8.

An overnight curfew for Daytona Beach residents has been established in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus....

Posted by The City of Daytona Beach Government on Wednesday, April 1, 2020


8:05 a.m. update

Osceola County officials will hold a 3 p.m. meeting in regards to food assistance for county residents amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Updates on the meeting can be found here.

Read: Coronavirus: Tyson Foods to pay $60M in bonuses to front-line workers, truckers amid pandemic


7:04 a.m update

Distance learning begins today for students in Marion County. Students around most of Central Florida began virtual learning Monday after returning from Spring Break.

Marion County students and parents can click here for additional information on the assignments.

Read: Central Florida students prepare for second day of distance learning after extension through April


4:41 a.m. update

The Florida Department of Health reported eight more deaths and 403 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state since Tuesday morning.

Officials said there are now a total of 6,741 cases and 85 deaths in the state, that is compared to 6,338 cases and 77 deaths reported since Tuesday morning.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Coronavirus cases in Florida

Of the cases, 6,490 involved Florida residents and 251 involve nonresidents.

Click here to see a statewide map of reported coronavirus cases.

Click here for a recap of Tuesday’s coverage.

“Coronavirus

Jason Kelly

Jason Kelly, WFTV.com

Jason Kelly joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2014. He serves as the station's Digital Executive Producer.

Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.

Christopher Boyce, WFTV.com

Christopher Boyce joined WFTV in January of 2019.