Information on Hillsborough County closures and cancellations

www.hillsboroughcounty.org | HCFLGov.net/StaySafe | www.cdc.gov | www.floridahealth.gov

Hillsborough County government has cancelled all events and meetings, including public hearings, until April 13. The closure impacts all formal programming at

• Public Libraries
• Parks & Recreation facilities
• Senior Centers (locally: Gardenville, Progress Village, Ruskin and Wimauma)
• Head Start and Early Head Start centers are closed until at least March 27.
• Healthy Living Center, Ruskin
• SouthShore Community Resource Center, Ruskin, will close March 19
• All Hillsborough County schools

Hours and closures are subject to change. Check the website for updates, www.hillsboroughcounty.org or for general county information, call 813-272-5900.

Also visit www.hcflgov.net/staysafe for information on COVID-19

COVID-19 Coronavirus testing procedure

If you or someone you know has returned from any international travel or a cruise within the last 14 days and has a fever, cough or shortness of breath, it is important to know the testing procedure for COVID-19 coronavirus. Familiarize yourself with who can be tested for coronavirus, how to set up an appointment and how testing is done.

Here are the facts from the Florida Department of Health:

Who qualifies for health department testing?

To be tested through the Florida Department of Health, the person must have had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case AND must have fever or symptoms of lower respiratory illness (cough, shortness of breath). If someone is asymptomatic, despite travel or exposure, he or she will not be tested.

The Department of Health is prioritizing testing of symptomatic individuals who had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case, are part of an outbreak or have unexplained respiratory illness, per CDC guidance. Testing is also available at commercial laboratories, and clinicians should use their judgment to determine if a patient has signs and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and whether the patient should be tested, again per CDC guidance.

Call, do not visit:

It is IMPORTANT to call ahead before visiting the Florida Department of Health or your health care provider. Offices must take proper steps to avoid further spread of COVID-19 when a concerned patient arrives for a medical appointment.

How testing is done:

A person who is tested will have up to three specimens taken: oral, nasal and sputum, which is a mixture of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract. Samples will be given to the Florida Department of Health and from there shipped or delivered to a laboratory that can carry out the COVID-19 test. Test results are typically available within 24 to 48 hours.

For more information on COVID-19 and any other potential emergency in the region, visit www.HCFLGov.net/StaySafe and sign up for the HCFL Alert system.

COVID-19 Call Center is available 24/7 at 1-866-779-6121 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov.