An 88-year-old man who is in stable condition at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center has been tested positive for COVID-19, the hospital announced today.
It’s the third case reported in Polk County and the first known to be in Lakeland.
Earlier this week, the Florida Department of Health reported the disease had been confirmed in a 44-year-old woman whose case wasn’t considered travel-related and a 21-year-old woman who had recently traveled to Georgia. No information was released indicating where in Polk County they live.
Here’s the text of a news release sent by Lakeland Regional Health at 2:25 p.m. today:
From LRH “We were notified by the Florida Department of Health this morning of a COVID-19 positive presumptive result for an 88-year-old male under our care who is in stable condition.
The Department of Health will notify exposed individuals in the community and investigate the possible source of the infection while providing them additional direction and guidance. This patient was appropriately triaged by our medical teams with the use of screening protocols recommended by state and federal agencies.
Our well-trained staff ensured adequate infection prevention guidelines were followed to minimize exposure to others and themselves.
The hospital has scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. Friday to answer questions.”