Scott Says Florida Remains ‘Safe State’ Amid Zika Battle

August 3, 2016

Florida political leaders say controlling the spread of the Zika virus is doable but will take everyone’s help, as travel advisories have been posted about visiting the state.

The assurances came just hours before the Florida Department of Health reported that it was investigating an additional case of a person being infected with Zika in Miami-Dade County. The report brought to 15 the number of people believed to have been infected by mosquito bites in the state, with health officials saying they think transmission of the disease is occurring in a small area north of downtown Miami.

Gov. Rick Scott, at the start of a state Cabinet meeting Tuesday, said it’s important to get the message out that Florida — anticipating a record 110 million to 115 million visitors this year — remains “a safe state.”

“We’re going to beat this,” Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said. “We’re going to move forward, and Florida is very much going to remain the state that is known for its exceptional outdoor activities and opportunities, and this will be just one of the more interesting chapters written about Florida.”

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory that pregnant women should not travel to the area of Miami. Also, at the state’s request, the federal agency said it was sending an “emergency response team,” including experts on Zika, pregnancy and birth defects, to help in the response.

The mosquito-borne virus generally produces mild symptoms. However, it is particularly dangerous to pregnant women because it can lead to severe birth defects, including microcephaly, which leaves babies with abnormally small heads and developmental problems.

British officials also have advised pregnant women and couples looking to conceive to avoid non-essential trips to all of Florida and to some other parts of the U.S. because of the risk of contracting Zika.

As state and federal disease prevention officials work in South Florida, Scott and Putnam said residents can do little things to help keep the virus from spreading. That includes trying to reduce the population of mosquitos, which lay eggs in standing water.

“Everybody in the state has got to be active,” Scott said. “You (have) got to get rid of standing water. You have to get rid of standing water. And you have to get rid of standing water. You won’t have mosquitoes if they don’t have any babies.”

More than 1,600 cases of the virus have been reported across the continental U.S., nearly all contracted by people who traveled abroad or through sexual transmission.

A big concern for Florida is the frequency of travel between the state and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, where more than 4,500 cases have been reported, nearly all contracted through mosquitoes.

Putnam said Florida is in better position to fight the virus than other areas impacted by Zika due to better infrastructure that includes air conditioned buildings, unblemished screens, sanitation requirements and local mosquito control agencies.

by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

Comments

One Response to “Scott Says Florida Remains ‘Safe State’ Amid Zika Battle”

  1. Kane on August 3rd, 2016 12:11 pm

    “Safe States” do not get travel advisories. How about a little more realistic statement like “yeah we know it is here and we (the Fl. gov.) are handling it. Here is a list of measures we are doing/planning to control it”.

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