TAMPA, Fla — March 1, 2021, marks one year since the state of Florida announced its first two cases of COVID-19.
One of them was a woman in Hillsborough County who had traveled to Italy. The other was a man in Manatee County with no travel history.
The next day, The Florida Department of Health asked people not to travel to a growing number of counties-- especially with spring break right around the corner.
Here's a quick glance back at the month of March as the state and the nation braced for the impact of COVID-19.
- March 5, 2020: Florida recorded its first two official coronavirus deaths, one in Santa Rosa and the other in Lee County.
- March 8, 2020: The Regal Princess cruise ship was ordered to remain offshore of South Florida with 21 people on board with the virus.
- March 8, 2020: the essential supply hoarding and panic buying was getting so bad, that stores like Publix started limiting the items customers could buy.
- The next few days Governor DeSantis declared a state of emergency to get extra funding and resources, limits were put on nursing home visits, and state universities were told they'd be going to virtual learning after spring break.
- March 13, 2020: All public-school students were told to take an extra week off after their spring break, which we now know turned into the rest of the year being virtual.
- March 15, 2020: Walt Disney World and Universal Studios close their doors.
- March 17, 2020: The Florida Department of Health confirms 216 total COVID-19 cases and seven total deaths. The governor then orders bars and nightclubs to shut down.
- March 23, 2020: Travel restrictions are put in place for anyone coming to Florida from the northeast coast. It meant 14-days of quarantine.
At this point Florida cases really jumped, totaling 1,227. - March 24, 2020: Pinellas County reports its first COVID-19 related death
- March 26, 2020: Hillsborough and Pinellas counties had issued orders telling people to stay home.
- April 1, 2020: One month after the first cases were confirmed, the whole state joined in the lockdown with an order from Governor DeSantis. There were now 7,773 confirmed cases in the state and 101 deaths.
Now, one year later, we're still in the pandemic. While there is light at the end of the tunnel with now three approved vaccines, more than a million people in Florida have gotten the virus.
On Sunday, the state reported 5,539 new COVID-19 cases for Feb. 27. This pushes the state's overall total to 1,909,221 cases since March 2020. The statewide 14-day moving average has been on the decrease with fewer cases being reported.
The highest single-day case number Florida has reported so far is 19,816 for Jan. 6. The report released on Jan. 2 of 31,518 newly-reported cases is higher, but that reported combined updates for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
Florida has been in "Phase 3" of reopening since Sept. 25, when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an order guaranteeing restaurants the right to operate and lifting state-level capacity restrictions on them.
Still, many cities and counties in the state have continued mask mandates in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus. Here's a breakdown of where you're supposed to wear one around Tampa Bay.
- J&J's single-shot COVID vaccine get FDA emergency use authorization
- Trump teases White House bid, all but explicitly announcing 2024 run
- Biden hails House passage of $1.9T virus bill, now to Senate
- Rays 101: Your ultimate guide to jumping on the bandwagon this season
- Hospital employee charged with stealing more than $900 from COVID-19 patient's wallet, police say
- AP sources: Feds pinpoint suspect in officer's Capitol riot death
- '40,000 cases daily': Florida scientists say U.K. variant could spark a 4th wave of COVID-19 infections in the state
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter
