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New York Man In St. Johns Becomes County’s 1st Documented Coronavirus Case

Gloved hand holding a small test tube.
Martin Meissner
/
Associated Press
26 Florida residents have tested positive for coronavirus, while three out of state residents have tested positive in the state, according for the Florida DOH.

A 63-year old man has tested positive for coronavirus in St. Johns County.

The man is a New York resident who traveled to Florida to attend Daytona Bike Week in Daytona Beach. His marks the first positive case in the county, where he was isolated before attending Bike Week and remains isolated today, according to health officials.

The Bike Week runs through Sunday, March 15 and is the state’s largest motorcycle gathering of the year. 

On March 9, before his case was announced but after others had tested positive for coronavirus in Volusia County, Daytona Bike Weekissued a news release stating “We further encourage everyone to be extra diligent and pay attention to the precautions that have been recommended by health care professionals in light of the recent news.”

The St. Johns County case is one of three new positive cases announced by the Florida Department of Health Thursday. One was a 56-year-old man in Miami-Dade County, the first in that county, and a 70-year-old man in Broward County.

Late Tuesday, a 68-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus in Nassau County.

This brings the total number of coronavirus cases to 26 Florida residents and 3 non-Florida residents in the state. 

Updated: In response to new information from the Health Department in St. Johns County, this story was updated at 9:45 pm on Thursday, March 12, to reflect that the man in St. Johns County was isolated before he was able to attend Bike Week. 

Former WJCT News reporter