‘There is no reason to panic’: Orange County health officials look to curb fears over coronavirus

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County leaders held a news conference Monday following the declaration of a public health emergency by Gov. DeSantis after two Florida residents were confirmed to have the coronavirus.

Orlando and Orange County health officials wanted to make one thing clear during the conference. “There is no reason to panic,” said Dr. Raul Pino of the Orange County Department of Health.

Health officials made it clear they wanted the community to know that their health is their top concern and already have a plan in place if the spread of COVID-19 came to Orlando.

READ MORE: TIMELINE: CDC confirms 2 cases of coronavirus in Florida; 184 being monitored on Monday

“We’ve increased the cleaning cycles and we’re adding hand sanitizer to dispensers at Amway Center and Camping World Stadium,” said Mayor Buddy Dyer.

If one does fear they’ve been infected, Gov. DeSantis urged to contact the county health department and a staffer should be able to identify if testing is needed.

Local impacts of the virus are already being felt on a small scale, with some conferences outside the Orange County Convention Center canceling.

READ MORE: Concerns over coronavirus spark some conferences in Orange County to cancel events

“There have been no cancellations at the center, but there have been some smaller ones at some of the hotels,” said George Augel, president and CEO of Visit Orlando.

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