Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez calls for meeting to address concerns over Coronavirus

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez has called a meeting with key community agencies to prepare a contingency plan for the potential spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Among the stakeholders that have been invited to participate in the meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, are representatives of the Florida Department of Health, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Jackson Health System, the Miami-Dade County Office of Emergency Management, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the Miami-Dade Aviation Department and PortMiami.

“I met with Health Department Administrator Yesenia Villalta last week to go over the health ramifications of this virus,” Mayor Gimenez said. “Now, out of an abundance of caution, with this virus currently identified in patients in South Korea, Italy, Japan, Iran and other nations, we want to be prepared to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors.”

Most of the reported cases of the virus, which causes respiratory disease COVID-19, are in China. The proportion of infected people who die appears to be between 1% and 2%, although the World Health Organization cautions that the mortality rate is not yet known.

For more information on the Coronavirus, visit CDC.gov.