Orange County's health director says he expected to see an increase in new coronavirus case numbers after Florida's Phase 3 reopening, but he urges residents to continue taking precautions seriously.
Dr. Raul Pino says many new cases have been traced to birthday parties, including a Sweet 16 party in the Avalon Park area that resulted in half of guests getting COVID-19.
“I’m absolutely sure that no one wants this to happen, but it will happen," says Pino, county director for the Florida Department of Health. "It continues to be out in the community, and we will continue to see the consequences if we don’t act super-responsible. It’s not just responsible. Super-responsible.”
Pino says just because most new cases are appearing in younger people, ages 15 to 35, doesn’t mean the community is in the clear.
“So those are the concerns that we have, that it’s a young population, very socially active; and it will inevitably move into the older segment of the population, people in an assisted living facility, with pre-existing conditions, over 65, in a close environment," he says. "And that’s our major concern when it gets there.”
Pino says the rise in cases can’t be explained by schools reopening or even large sports events, as these tend to take health precautions into consideration.
