Three new cases bring count to 33

Three new cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Florida Health Department in its latest report on the morning of April 2, bringing the total in Monroe County to 33.

Among the 33, 18 are travel-related, 10 are community-acquired and five are currently being investigated. Of the 28 residents, 16 are from Key West, five Key Largo, three Tavernier, and one from each of the cities – Islamorada, Summerland Key, Marathon, and Key Colony Beach.

Twenty-eight of those cases involve local residents, while five are non-county residents. Five remain hospitalized.

In total, 321 have been tested in Monroe County. Of those, 224 have come back negative. Sixty-four tests await results.

Statewide, cases have grown to 8,010. Just over 7,700 of those positive cases are Florida residents. A total of 1,058 are hospitalized, and 128 have died.

Jim McCarthy
Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.