WYNWOOD, Fla. – As Gov. Rick Scott announced the clearing of four additional blocks of a one-square mile area in Miami deemed a hot-spot for the Zika virus, the Florida Health Department identified 24 additional people with the virus -- 21 related to travel outside the United States and three more who were exposed locally.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to monitor the area north of downtown Miami (pictured below, shaded area denotes cleared areas). The Department of Health concluded no local transmissions of Zika are occurring in the newly cleared area in the Wynwood district.
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Scott also announced that DOH has identified three additional people in the impacted area with the Zika virus who likely contracted it through a mosquito bite.
This brings the total number of people with locally transmitted Zika to 25 and the travel-related cases to 404. In addition, 47 pregnant woman in Florida have been infected.
The new travel-related cases announced Thursday include 17 in Broward County, two in Hernando County and one in in Miami-Dade and Seminole counties.
The health department has conducted testing for the Zika virus for more than 2,725 people and has the capacity to test 5,805 people for active Zika virus and 1,527 for Zika antibodies. As of Aug. 3, all county health departments are offering free Zika risk assessment and testing to any pregnant woman who would like to be tested.
Health officials continue to be focused on the Miami neighborhood connected with all the locally-transmitted cases.
“Last week, we were able to clear a 10-block portion of the area and today, it’s great to announce that we are able to clear an additional four blocks," Scott said "This means the area where we believe active transmissions are occurring in the state is significantly reducing."
Scott said he authorized more than $26 million in state funds to fight Zika, and as of Thursday, more than $18 million has been allocated to local and state entities for mosquito prevention and control.
"We will continue to work closely with local officials to ensure their needs are met and we are prepared to allocate more, if needed," Scott said.
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