-
As the number of virus cases nears 50, Mayor Terrill Hill said a curfew is possible.
By Sarah Cavacini
and Wayne Smith
Palatka Daily News
scavacini@palatkadailynews.com
wsmith@palatkadailynews.com
As coronavirus cases in Putnam County reached 46 by Wednesday evening, Palatka officials have not yet issued a curfew, but it is not off the table, Mayor Terrill Hill said.
“Other communities have locked themselves down,” Hill said. “I’ve talked about this with our sheriff. It’s going to be something we will reconvene to talk about every week.”
During a Palatka City Commission emergency meeting Wednesday afternoon, Hill reminded commissioners and residents “COVID doesn’t discriminate against anyone.”
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, nine children in Putnam County tested positive for coronavirus, with the youngest case being a 6-year-old boy.
Hill said he’s aware of some Palatka residents still gathering in large groups, getting in fights at night and not following the guidelines issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis to prevent the spread of the virus.
The most recent coronavirus case is a 21-year-old woman from Palatka, floridadisaster.org reported. By 5 p.m. Wednesday, 915 people in Putnam had been tested, with three cases pending and 869 people testing negative.
“COVID-19 does not discriminate by race, sex or age,” Mary Garcia, administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Putnam County, said in an email. “Be a hero and help us stop the spread of this virus.”
The number of people who have been cured of coronavirus is not being released because the reinfection rate has not been determined. Garcia said it was too early to tell if anyone from the county has been reinfected. The Florida Department of Health is working on a way to address the cured rate, she said.
Putnam County residents should stay home and try to work remotely if possible, Garcia said. She said it is important to keep practicing social distancing and proper hygiene. The total number of cases in Florida hit 22,519, with 614 deaths reported Wednesday evening, according to floridadisaster.org.
“We’ve got to make sure, in this community, we teach our young people that they need to abide with what’s going on,” Hill said.
The Wednesday evening update stated 23 people in Palatka, 11 people in East Palatka, eight people in Interlachen, two people in Satsuma, one person in Welaka and one person in Crescent City have the virus.
“We’ve got to make sure we protect the masses,” Hill said. “We’ve just got to make sure that every citizen is doing what’s necessary to flatten this curve.”
Individuals who are not hospitalized are being asked to self-quarantine, Garcia said.
“Depending on the severity of their symptoms, we contact them daily or on a mutually-determined time frame,” she said.
If someone’s symptoms change, they need to call Garcia immediately.
Residents who have questions about coronavirus or feel they may need to be tested can call the county COVID-19 hotline at 329-1904. The call center is open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily.
“Until we can get away from people having large gatherings and understanding this is our new normal, our numbers will keep rising,” Hill said. “We’re hoping citizens comply so that we can get this thing under control.”