ORLANDO, Fla — Three convention groups are canceling conferences in Orlando because of coronavirus concerns. Some weren't scheduled to take place until next month.
No cases of the virus have been detected in the county. The closest confirmed cases are in Tampa Bay, at least 65 miles from Orlando: a man in Manatee County and a woman in Hillsborough County. An elderly man in Santa Rosa County in the Florida panhandle also tested positive for the virus.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings says the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Meeting, Ellucian Live and a Minecraft conference have all been canceled. President Donald Trump was supposed to speak at the Healthcare convention.
The mayor says the economic impact of those convention cancellations is $154 million.
However, Demings says leisure travel doesn't seem to be impacted by the coronavirus right now. Theme parks like Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Studios remain open.
Demings tells the Associated Press “our leisure travelers continue to come to Orange County to enjoy our theme parks, and all that we have to offer. We want to emphasize that we in Orange County are open for business.”
Orlando is the most visited destination in the U.S
- Roaches and a side of grits: Here's why this local joint is our Restaurant Red Alert
- Teen playing with chemical ends up completely burned
- No, you can't use Tito's Vodka as a replacement for hand sanitizer
- Facts Not Fear | What you need to know about the COVID-19 outbreak
- Latest updates: Coronavirus in Florida
- Space engineer builds working rotary dial cellphone, and you can, too
FREE 10NEWS APP:
