2021 Hurricane Preparation Guide

Take Us With You Anywhere You Go! Get 24/7/365 access to the latest news and public health and safety information. Stay connected and up-to-date with the latest news. Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | YOURSUN.COM | AN EDITION OF THE SUN | $1.50 7 05252 00025 8 high 82, Low 65 5% chance of rain SEE PAGE 6B TOday's WeaTher 2016 PuLITZer PrIZe WINNer VOL. 128, NO. 63 | $1.50 charlie on hand washing: Don't forget to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. INsIde TOday Bible verse 2A stocks 7A sPOrTs Lottery 2B sports on TV 2B LOcaL Obituaries 5C Opinion 7C Police Beat 2C calendar 6C daILy BreaK comics and Puzzles 2-5D dear abby 5D heloise 4D horoscopes 3D Brush fire burns 10 acres south of Punta Gorda PAGE 2C Presidential Primary: When, how, where can you vote? PAGE 1C By daNIeL suTPhIN STAFF WRITER The Center for Disease Control confirmed two positive cases of coronavirus in Florida Monday afternoon − one in Hillsborough County and one where the patient is now at Doctors Hospital in Sarasota County. Gov. Ron DeSantis antici- pates more cases of the virus Gov. DeSantis anticipates more infected patients Two already confirmed, including one at Doctors Hospital AP PHOTO Florida Gov. ron desantis speaks at a news conference Monday in Tampa regarding his declaration of a public health crisis amid the spread of the coronavirus. By BOB MudGe SENIOR WRITER SARASOTA — Coronavirus is officially present in Sarasota County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Monday that two Florida residents who initially tested positive for the respiratory illness do in fact have it. One is a 60-year-old Manatee County man who had been hospi- talized for pneumonia at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota and the other is a Hillsborough County woman in her 20s who recently had traveled to north- ern Italy, where a large number of coronavirus cases has been reported. The Manatee County man has no travel history. Two other people are in quarantine in the county, though they're showing no symptoms. A student and his mother, who came into contact with the patient at Doctors Hospital in her employment, are being monitored, according to the school's Facebook page. Doctors Hospital did not return calls asking for comment. U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan said in a news release he'd met with Doctors Hospital officials. "In an hour-long meeting at the hospital this morning with Chief Executive Officer Robert Meade coronavirus confirmed in sarasota county One patient has it while two others monitored AP FILE PHOTO This undated electron microscope image made available by the u.s. National Institutes of health in February shows the Novel coronavirus sars-coV-2. also known as 2019-ncoV, the virus causes cOVId-19. The sample was isolated from a patient in the u.s. By ed scOTT STAFF WRITER Students in area schools are being taught lessons this week they may not have heard since kindergarten. Signs have been posted in restrooms and elsewhere as reminders: Wash your hands, keep your hands away from your faces — especially not in your mouths — and cover your mouths when sneezing. These are not common sense thoughts for many children, but they are good practices at any time — and any age. They are especially helpful in schools when parents are worried about a possible outbreak of corona- virus — COVID-19. Charlotte County Public Schools sent a recorded message to parents, telling One school closes for a day while others disinfect District employs 'old school' response to concern about coronavirus SEE schOOL, 4a SEE hOsPITaL, 4a SEE sarasOTa, 5a "Not every cough, not every sore throat, not every fever is coronavirus. The most important thing is, don't panic. even in china the majority of patients were managed at home." dr. ahmed Farooq, infectious disease specialist By sTeVe PeOPLes, BILL BarrOW and BrIaN sLOdysKO ASSOCIATED PRESS HOUSTON — Rivals no more, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg united behind Joe Biden's pres- idential bid on Monday as the Democratic Party's mod- erate wing scrambled to boost the former vice president just hours before voting began across a series of high-stakes Super Tuesday states. The urgency of the moment reflected deep concerns from the Democratic establishment that Bernie Sanders, a polariz- ing progressive, was positioned to seize a significant delegate lead when 14 states, one U.S. territory vote on Tuesday. Klobuchar suspended her campaign and endorsed Biden just a day after Buttigieg announced his exit. Both Klobuchar and Buttigieg, who had been Biden's chief compe- tition for their party's pool of more moderate voters over the last year, were set to declare their public support for Biden on Monday evening at a rally in Dallas. The sweeping shifts come at a key crossroads in Democrats' turbulent primary season as the party struggles to unify behind a clear message or messenger in its urgent quest to defeat President Donald Trump. Yet as a field that once featured more than two dozen candidates shrinks to just five, the choice for primary voters is becoming clearer. On one side stands Biden, a 77-year-old lifelong politician who represents a pragmatic approach to governing that emphasizes bipartisanship and more modest change. On the other stands Sanders, a 78-year-old democratic socialist who has for decades demanded aggressive liberal shifts that seek to transform the nation's political and economic systems. Yet the primary isn't yet a two-man race. New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg, in particular, could create problems for Biden's es- tablishment appeal. The former New York City mayor, who will appear on a 2020 ballot for the first time on Tuesday, has in- vested more than a half billion dollars into his presidential bid and wracked up many high-pro- file endorsements of his own. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has struggled for delegates and momentum over the last month, has vowed to stay in the race until the party's national convention in July. Biden nabs Klobuchar, Buttigieg endorsements suPer Tuesday Online See the latest news today about Super Tuesday at yoursun.com/ elections Inside Despite cancellation, area athletic directors have yet to express concern over virus see sPOrTs Tuesday, March 10, 2020 | YOURSUN.COM | AN EDITION OF THE SUN | $1.50 7 05252 00025 8 high 81, Low 59 5% chance of rain SEE PAGE 6B TOday's WeaTher 2016 PuLITZer PrIZe WINNer VOL. 128, NO. 70 | $1.50 charlie on spring colors: I need to brighten up my swamp. INsIde TOday Bible verse 2A stocks 7A sPOrTs Lottery 2B sports on TV 2B LOcaL Obituaries 5C Opinion 7C Police Beat 2C calendar 6C daILy BreaK comics and Puzzles 2-5D dear abby 5D heloise 4D horoscopes 3D Motorcyclist, rider die in weekend crash PAGE 2C sheriff's Office clerk fired over racist Facebook remark PAGE 1C STAFF REPORT SARASOTA — Two Sarasota County students are being confined at home after being exposed to a person who has been confirmed to have the coronavirus, according to Sarasota County Schools. The students are not showing signs of having COVID-19 and will be released by the school system to return to school after the Department of Health clears them. The school system is not releasing information on what school or schools the students attend. Many parents expressed concerns on social media about the district not releasing the name or names of the school or schools. One Twitter user who identifies as Sheila Smith responded to the district news release and said, "Why even release a press release that creates more hysteria Two Sarasota County students exposed to virus, kept out of school Parents express frustration over lack of information By BOBBy caINa caLVaN ASSOCIATED PRESS TALLAHASSEE — Facing a growing public health crisis, Florida Gov. Ron Desantis declared a state of emergency Monday to better marshal resources and get outside help against a new strain of coronavirus that has killed two people in his state. In announcing the move, the governor again appealed for calm. At a news conference Monday afternoon at the state Capitol, the governor By sTaN chOe and aLeX VeIGa AP BUSINESS WRITERS Stocks took their worst one-day beating on Wall Street since the global financial crisis of 2008 as a collapse in oil prices Monday combined with mounting alarm over what the coronavirus could do to the world economy. The staggering losses, including a 7.8% tumble in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, immediately raised fears that a recession might be on the way in the U.S. and that the record-breaking 11-year bull market on Wall Street may be coming to an abrupt end in a way no one even imagined just a few months ago. The drop was so sharp that it triggered the first automatic halt in trading in more than two decades. European stock indexes likewise registered their heaviest losses since the darkest days of the 2008 meltdown and are now in a bear market. Together, the sell-offs re- flected growing anxiety over the potential global economic damage from the coronavirus, cOrrecTION The Sun incorrectly stated a Florida Power and Light solar plan. FPL plans to have 30 million solar panels by 2030. The base rate it will charge for its solar subscription program is $6.76 a kilowatt. A typical monthly home usage is 5 kilowatts, according to FPL. By aNNe easKer STAFF WRITER Area hospitals are chang- ing their protocols in order to prepare for the coronavirus after the Florida Department of Health announced a presumptive positive patient in Charlotte County over the weekend. The patient is a 54-year-old female with a known history of international travel. Fawcett Memorial Hospital has set up a tent outside its emergency room "as a precautionary measure in the event of an influx of poten- tially impacted patients," said spokesperson Alexandria Benjamin. Benjamin said Monday the hospital is not currently treating any confirmed cases but they are working diligently to ensure they are prepared for any potential issues related to the virus. "Our preparedness efforts include reinforcing appro- priate infection prevention protocols and guidance from the CDC, ensuring we have necessary supplies and equipment, and emergency planning," she said. In addition to the tents, visitor restrictions have been instituted in patient care areas, just like the hospital does during heavy influenza outbreaks. "Starting this week, visitors and patients are being directed to use specific entrances to allow visitors to be screened," Benjamin said. "We have positioned supplies at points of entry, so that any potential symptomatic patient who arrives can be properly masked and imme- diately isolated to protect our colleagues and other patients." Over the weekend, Bayfront Port Charlotte had a sofa placed in front of its main entrance doors to block people from entering. Charlotte County Fire & EMS sent a battalion chief to the hospital Sunday morning. Hospitals put extra safety measures in place Location of Charlotte County patient still unknown SEE saFeTy, 4a Stocks plummet amid coronavirus The Dow Jones has its steepest drop since 2008 AP PHOTO New york stock exchange Floor Governor Brendan connolly, left, works with traders Peter Tuchman, John Panin and sal suarino, second left to right, on the floor of the Nyse on Monday. DeSantis declares state of emergency AP PHOTO crew members on Monday swab down Florida's house floor at the state capitol in Tallahassee. SEE schOOL, 4a INsIde The NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS are closing access to locker rooms to the media in response to the coronavirus. see sPOrTs SEE desaNTIs, 4a SEE sTOcKs, 4a By ZeKe MILLer ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday his administration will ask Congress to pass payroll tax relief and other quick mea- sures as a public health and economic maelstrom brought on by the coronavirus drew closer to him personally. Intending to calm the fears of financial markets over the impact of the epidemic, Trump told reporters he is seeking "very substantial relief" to the payroll tax. Trump also said he was seeking help for hourly-wage workers to ensure they're "not going to miss a paycheck" and Trump wants payroll tax relief to calm virus-spooked markets SEE TaX, 5a Friday, March 13, 2020 | YOURSUN.COM | AN EDITION OF THE SUN | $1.50 7 05252 00025 8 high 86, Low 60 Mostly sunny and warm SEE PAGE 8B TOday'S WEaThEr 2016 PULiTZEr PriZE WiNNEr VOL. 128, NO. 73 | $1.50 charlie on spring training: There's always next year! iNSidE TOday Bible verse 2A Stocks 7A SPOrTS Lottery 2B Sports on TV 2B LOcaL Obituaries 5C Opinion 7C Police Beat 2C calendar 6C daiLy BrEaK comics and Puzzles 4-7D dear abby 7D heloise 6D horoscopes 5D By MichELLE r. SMiTh and GiLLiaN FLaccUS ASSOCIATED PRESS Workers lost their jobs, par- ents came up with impromptu home lesson plans for children kept home from shuttered schools. Families fretted over dwindling retirement accounts, the health of elderly parents, and every cough and sneeze in their midst. Millions of people settled into new and disrupted routines Thursday as the coronavirus began to uproot almost every facet of American life. The spate of event cancella- tions that drove home the grav- ity of the outbreak a day earlier only intensified Thursday, with Disney and Universal Orlando Resort shutting down theme parks, the NCAA calling off March Madness and Broadway theaters closing their doors in Manhattan. All the major professional sports announced they are halting play, and officials ordered a shutdown of every school in the state of Ohio for three weeks. And with the cascade of closures, a new reality set in for American households. In the Pacific Northwest, parents scrambled to devise homeschooling using library books or apps. Others, desper- ate to get to work, jumped on social media boards to seek By STEVE rEiLLy STAFF WRITER The Warm Mineral Springs Motel didn't have to wait for the European travel ban to go into effect. "We're seeing cancellations right now," Menish Shash said Thursday. But when it comes to the federal ban on travel from Europe itself, he said it makes sense for public safety. The Warm Mineral Springs Motel caters to European guests who enjoy wading in the mineral springs. On its web page, the motel provides translations in Russian, German, French and Spanish. The new travel restrictions, announced by President Trump Wednesday, went into effect at midnight this morning, and ban foreign nationals entering the U.S. from 26 European countries. The list of nations includes Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The British Isles, including Great Britain and Ireland, were excluded from the ban. On the other hand, when asked if the Palm Island Resort has experienced any By ScOTT ZUcKEr SUN SPORTS EDITOR PORT CHARLOTTE — There was a buzz throughout Charlotte Sports Park on Thursday afternoon and it had little to do with the Tampa Bay Rays game against the Philadelphia Phillies. In an announcement that was anticipated before the national anthem, but arrived closer to the seventh-inning streak, Major League Baseball official- ly canceled the remainder of the Spring Training schedule due to concerns about the coronavirus. The baseball regular season, which was scheduled to start on March 26, has been postponed at least two weeks. "We kind of figured this might be our last game," center field Kevin Kiermaier said after coming out of the game. "You look at the writing on the wall. Every sporting event is shutting down, so why wouldn't we do the same thing? It's all precautionary measures. It's very, very serious. "Right now it looks like we're going to shut it down for a little bit for the safety of everyone." Commissioner Rob Manfred and the league's owners held a conference call Thursday afternoon. "MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an ap- propriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible," MLB said in its statement. Rays starting pitcher Brendan McKay was roughed up for four runs in just 1 ⅓ innings, but afterward most of the discussion centered on the shutdown and his personal concerns going forward. "Guys have obviously been talking about it," the 24-year- old left-hander said while European travel ban: Local businesses in wait-and-see mode Manasota Beach renourishing make a huge difference PAGE 1C Local events canceled due to health concerns PAGE 5C Rays react as MLB cancels spring training, postpones season opener SUN PHOTO BY TOM O'NEILL Stadium Fan hosts disinfect the seats at charlotte Sports Park before fans entered the field, while the Philadelphia Phillies stretch before facing the Tampa Bay rays Thursday. during the game, MLB canceled the remainder of spring training and delayed Opening day by at least two weeks. SPRING TRAINING CANCELED By BETSy caLVErT STAFF WRITER Who gets tested? Charlotte County's health chief said Tuesday that testing for the coronavirus is likely to be limited to people who have a certain set of symptoms including fever and respiratory distress, or people who have been to known countries of infection within 14 days or who have been near a high-risk person. Area hospitals added the category of already hospital- ized patients to that priority list. Health Director Joe Pepe said a promised increase in the availability of testing could broaden the range of people who could be tested. That would help people and the health care community "rule out" people who don't have the virus, he said. Guidelines are changing daily. Neither the Charlotte County office of the state Department of Health nor the state office returned answers to inquiries Thursday by press time. Sarasota Memorial Health Care System spokesperson Kim Savage Thursday said public health laboratories are running seven days a week in Florida to keep up with the testing requests, which she acknowledged are focused on patients prioritized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. As more tests are distributed and private labs SEE TraVEL, 4a SEE caNcELEd, 4a inside Most coronavirus patients recover, still anxiety, fear loom, see Page 5 Virus testing is 'failing,' leaving cases uncounted, see Page 4 What to do if you want to be tested? And how will you pay for it? cOrONaVirUS cOrONaVirUS SEE TESTEd, 4a Americans adjust to new life, hunker down Many schools close, sports games canceled, some workers lose their jobs SEE LiFE, 4a Monday, March 16, 2020 | YOURSUN.COM | AN EDITION OF THE SUN | $1.50 7 05252 00025 8 high 88, Low 66 Mostly sunny and warm SEE PAGE 6B Today'S WEaThEr 2016 PULITZEr PrIZE WInnEr VOL. 128, NO. 76 | $1.50 charlie on debates: I love a good spar! InSIdE Today Bible verse 2A SPorTS Lottery 5B LocaL obituaries 4C opinion 5C Police Beat 3C calendar 4C daILy BrEaK comics and Puzzles 2-5D dear abby 5D heloise 4D horoscopes 3D By JEFFrEy SchWEErS FLORIDA SOCIETY OF NEWS EDITORS At a time when most Americans say they don't trust the elections process, Florida officials have thrown a veil of secrecy over their system. The state forced all 67 elections supervisors to sign nondisclosure agreements before they could receive federal funding for elections security, be briefed about vulnerabilities found by cybersecurity experts or even hook up to the state's voter registration system. The far-reaching confidential- ity pacts, which public records experts call bizarre and unen- forceable, are necessary to fight hackers, state officials say. Florida's Tuesday primary will be a test of the wall of pro- tection officials say they've built. But the secrecy pacts could keep in the dark weaknesses that still exist. "We have a broad public records law for a reason, so having to sign a nondisclosure agreement didn't sit well with me … not only to receive funds, but information too," said Polk County Elections Supervisor Lori Edwards. "It just felt coerced," the former state legislator said. The nondisclosure agreements and follow-up memoranda of understanding were uncov- ered when the USA TODAY NETWORK — Florida sent out two extensive public records re- quests to learn what information Election season: Will your vote count? Florida's secrecy about election security makes it nearly impossible to know By WarrEn rIchardSon SUN CORRESPONDENT VENICE — For many Sarasota County voters heading to the polls Tuesday to vote in Florida's presidential prefer- ence primary, they may find a disturbing notice posted at their local precinct. A notice directing them to another location. With many poll workers quitting due to fears about the spread of the COVID-19 or coronavirus, Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner issued an emergency order late Friday evening consolidating a number of polling places throughout the county. Some of those changes affect- ed precincts in South County including: • Precinct 321, Colonial Baptist Church, 2400 Taylor Ranch Trail, Venice which is moving to New Life Church, 5800 Tamiami Trail South, Venice. • Precinct 525, Lift Church, 695 Center Road, Venice, which is moving to Woodmere Park, 3951 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice. • Precinct 531, Venice Gardens Civic Center, 406 Loss of poll workers forces changes ELEcTIon 2020 coronaVIrUS Biden vs Bernie debate Both cast themselves as best leader amid crisis PAGE 6A Coronavirus: Local doctor answers questions PAGE 1C Where's my Sports section? Due to the cancellation of national and local sports, we are temporarily reducing the number of pages in our Sports section. For sports stories please see pages 4-6B IMPorTanT InForMaTIon By ZEKE MILLEr ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — A clinical trial evaluating a vaccine designed to protect against the new coronavirus will begin Monday, according to a government official. The first participant in the trial will receive the experi- mental vaccine on Monday, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the trial has not been publicly announced yet. The National Institutes of Health is funding the trial, which is taking place at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, the official said. Public health officials say it will take a year to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine. Testing will begin with 45 young, healthy volunteers with different doses of shots co-de- veloped by NIH and Moderna Inc. There's no chance partic- ipants could get infected from the shots, because they don't contain the virus itself. The goal is purely to check that the vaccines show no worrisome side effects, setting the stage for larger tests. SEE ELEcTIon, 4a SEE VoTE, 4a Vaccine trial starts today AP PHOTO a gun store customer that gave his name only at John waits in line, Sunday in Burbank, calif. John stated that he was there to buy ammunition because most other stores were out and he wanted to stock up. SEE VaccInE, 4a By TErry SPEncEr and TErESa craWFord ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO — Officials across the country curtailed many elements of American life to fight the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, with health officials recommending that groups of 50 or more don't get together and a government expert say- ing a 14-day national shutdown may be needed. Governors were closing restaurants, bars, and schools as the nation sank deeper into chaos over the crisis. Travelers returning home from overseas trips were stuck in line for hours at major airports for screenings, causing them to be crammed into just the kind of crowded spaces that public health officials have been urging people to avoid. In a sign of the impending economic gloom on the horizon, the Federal Reserve slashed its benchmark interest rate to near zero. President Donald Trump sought to calm a jittery nation by declaring that the government has "tremendous control" over the situation and urging people to stop the panic buying of grocery staples that has depleted the shelves of stores around the country. Gun stores started seeing a similar run on weapons and ammunition as the panic intensified. As Americans struggled to come to terms with how to change their daily habits, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a dramatic recommendation: Because large events can fuel the spread of the disease, it said gatherings of 50 people or more should be canceled or postponed throughout the country for the next eight weeks. It added that, at any event, proper precautions should be taken, including making sure people are wash- ing their hands and not getting too close. But in a sign of the difficulty of striking the right balance, the statement from the CDC also said the recommendation does not apply to "the day to day operation of organizations such as schools, institutes of higher learning, or businesses." US moves nearer to shutdown The CDC recommends gatherings of 50 people or more be canceled or postponed over the next 8 weeks SEE FEarS, 4a InSIdE Recommit to government in the sunshine. Page 5c Go to YourSun.com for complete local coverage of issues surrounding in Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota County. Call to activate your digital access today - (941) 206-1300 - As a print subscriber to Sun Newspapers your subscription includes Digital Access to YourSun.com and our Daily Digital Replica Edition. adno=SP4739

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