COVID-19 cases increase to 153 as sixth death reported in county
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Officials reported the sixth Putnam County death since the start of the pandemic.
Local health and government officials are still adamant about coronavirus prevention methods despite some people’s more relaxed attitude about the pandemic.
The insistence people stay vigilant about prevention was bolstered after a 63-year-old Palatka man was reported Sunday to be the sixth person in Putnam to have died from the disease. A 38-year-old Palatka woman was reported Saturday to have contracted the disease; a 30-year-old Palatka woman and a 41-year-old San Mateo woman were reported Sunday; and a 72-year-old woman was reported Monday.
Despite beaches, parks and businesses reopening, people should continue 20-second hand-washing, social distancing and wearing masks to prevent contracting COVID-19, said Mary Garcia, the administrator of the state Department of Health in Putnam County.
“While the numbers are low, its because we’ve been trying to do the right thing,” she said. “If we look at it as a whole … we’re very fortunate it didn’t come here first. We had time to prepare.”
Putnam County’s 153 confirmed cases as of Monday pales in comparison to Broward and Miami-Dade counties’ 7,000 and 18,000 cases, respectively. But Garcia said Putnam residents must be aware they could contract coronavirus if they come into contact with someone who shows symptoms or are asymptomatic.
Part of the state’s prevention methods is contact tracing, where health officials in each county contact people with whom coronavirus patients have come in contact and places they’ve visited.
The number of people local health officials contact each week varies depending on the activity of the people who get diagnosed, Garcia said, but last week, Putnam officials reached out to 230 people in their contact tracing methods.
“For us, each one of these cases means we have to contact a minimum … of four or five people,” Garcia said. “There were individuals (who were diagnosed) that did stuff. So we had to contact all those places they’ve been.”
Putnam is fully in Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan, which allowed restaurants, retail businesses and gyms to open at partial capacity. Garcia said she does not know when Phase 2 will be announced or what it would involve.
Terry Turner, the chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, lamented the virus deaths and diagnoses. Echoing Garcia’s sentiments, Turner said when Phase 2 will be announced is a mystery.
“I know that things will change eventually when the governor moves to Phase 2,” Turner said. “They don’t give me advance notice or anything (about Phase 2 plans). I find out when the public finds out.”
Despite the additional COVID-19 cases and the recent death, Turner said he is pleased individuals and businesses are making efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Everyone must learn to live knowing the virus is present, but people don’t need to relax too much and think the pandemic is over, he said.
“I think that Putnam County as a whole has been taking it very seriously,” Turner said. “But with restaurants opening back up and retail opening back at a higher capacity, I think it’s easier for everybody to be at ease.”
As of Monday, there have been 56,830 coronavirus cases reported in the state. Medical officials have conducted 3,791 COVID-19 tests in Putnam, with 3,636 returning negative, 153 positive, two inconclusive and two pending, according to floridadisaster.org.
“Any case and any death is a tragedy,” Turner said. “I definitely don’t think people are taking it as serious as they were two months ago or even 30 days ago.”