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Only one COVID-19 case was reported Tuesday.
Coming off a long holiday weekend, the total number of coronavirus cases in Putnam County increased by only one Tuesday.
The Florida Department of Health in Putnam County confirmed the latest case was an 84-year-old Florahome woman, bringing the number of cases to 144.
And with the county fully in Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan, local officials announced short-term vacation rentals in the county can reopen Saturday.
“I think it’s the right thing,” County Administrator Terry Suggs said during Tuesday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting.
He said with county libraries also reopening, “things are starting to move in the right direction for Putnam County.”
Since the coronavirus outbreak began, four virus-related deaths have been reported in the county, and each death was of someone over the age of 50, according to floridadisaster.org.
The county’s COVID-19 hotline hours changed this week. The hotline will be open 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and officials can be reached at 329-1904.
The board also passed a resolution Tuesday to accept money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. The exact amount of money is not yet known, but it will help cover coronavirus expenses in the county.
As of Tuesday, the number of coronavirus tests done in Putnam County since the outbreak began was 3,439, according to floridadisaster.org. Of those cases, eight returned inconclusive and 3,287 were negative.
Commissioner Buddy Goddard said he has recently seen numerous people helping residents at risk of catching coronavirus by taking them groceries or buying supplies they may need. At-risk people may have compromised immune systems or are older than 60, health officials said.
“It just makes you feel good for our community, how great it is,” Goddard said.
On Tuesday, health officials reported 52,255 COVID-19 cases in Florida since the outbreak began, with 2,259 deaths were reported statewide.
“I think our epidemiologist and our command staff out there at the (Emergency Operations Center), as well as our Board of County Commissioners and staff, (are) making some very conscious decisions on how to follow the governor’s orders and getting us back into some sense of day-to-day operations,” Suggs said.