Lee County suffers third coronavirus death

HealthPark Medical Center

Health professionals say a third individual in Lee County has died from coronavirus.

While the death has not been added to Department of Health statewide numbers yet, officials with HealthPark Medical Center confirmed the death to local media, according to NBC-2.

That means roughly one in six individuals who died from COVID-19 in the state of Florida passed away in this county.

Lee County Commission Chair Brian Hamman said that’s likely a matter of demographics. The U.S. Census estimates nearly 29% of Lee County residents are over the age of 65 compared to 16% of all Floridians. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the virus is particularly dangerous for that demographic.

“We don’t know the age yet of third person who passed away, and are deeply saddened to hear about it,” Hamman said. “But the first two definitely fall into the category the CDC has talked about being at risk.”

Indeed, the first death from coronavirus occurred in Lee County, when a woman in her 70s died at Gulf Coast Medical Center and was diagnosed posthumously.

But for the moment, officials in the county are not considering any type of lockdown order like that in place in major cities like Miami Beach.

Lee County has a reported 32 positive cases according to the most recent DOH report, in a county of more than 739,000. Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County has 338 cases in a county of 2.75 million.

At the same time, no deaths have been reported in Miami-Dade to date.

But Hamman said Lee officials are following orders set forth by the state. That includes limiting visitation to nursing homes and high-risk populations. And the county may soon close boat ramps to limit gathering at piers. Beaches are already closed.

Neighboring Collier County officials have already started conversations with Lee government about when the appropriate time may be to institute further shutdown measures. Collier has had 41 cases.

That’s a conversation Hamman is ready to have, but he said without suggestions from the state that the county should take further action, he doesn’t see a need right now.

“A lot restrictions in place Friday, and I’m watching to see how numbers change as a result,” he said.

Hamman also noted that the state has tested 13,127 people who ultimately did not have the coronavirus. That includes 245 negative tests in Lee County.