BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health on Friday announced that another person has died in Broward County after testing positive for COVID-19.
The first death was confirmed earlier this week and the patient was identified as Richard Curren, 77, a resident of the Atria Willow Wood assisted living facility in Fort Lauderdale.
Mike Gentry, Atria Senior Living Senior Vice President of Care, confirmed in a statement that the second patient also was a resident at the facility.
“Over the past few days, we have had three residents from our Willow Wood community pass away,” the statement read. “It is confirmed that two of the tests were positive for COVID-19 and one was negative. Our thoughts are with all of the residents’ families during this difficult time.”
More than a dozen residents of the facility have since been transported from the grounds after experiencing symptoms related to the coronavirus.
The confirmation of the second death comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis directed all movie theaters, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys, arcades, gymnasiums, fitness studios and beaches to close in Broward County and Palm Beach County.
The governor said the closures would remain in effect until March 31, however the closures may be renewed upon the written request of the county administrator.
DeSantis said the county administrators also “have the ability to enforce, relax, modify or remove these closures as they see fit.”
As of 11 a.m. Friday, there were 520 total coronavirus cases in Florida.
A total of 124 cases have been confirmed in Broward County, 113 in Miami-Dade County and one case in Monroe County.
According to health officials, the state recently partnered with private laboratories around Florida to expand COVID-19 laboratory testing capacity.