DARK IRONY

Florida Closes Pandemic Response Center After 12 Employees Test Positive for COVID-19

The state’s coronavirus cases are rising sharply.

Florida has closed the pandemic response center that coordinated the state’s handling of the new coronavirus after a dozen employees there tested positive. The Tallahassee facility will undergo a deep cleaning and will remain closed until Monday with all employees working from home. “The safety of my employees and their families is paramount. It is why we have had aggressive screening, temperature checks, since February, mandatory masks and testing,” Florida Department of Emergency Management Secretary Jared Moskowitz said. The state’s coronavirus cases are rising fast, with six of the past seven days seeing more than 10,000 new cases. The DEM announced Thursday afternoon the state had added 13,965 new cases in the previous 24 hours.