A new non-travel related case of Zika was discovered in the one-square-mile hotspot in Wynwood, Florida Department of Health officials said Friday.
Meanwhile, at a Friday meeting with several prominent mayors from Miami-Dade County, one of Florida’s U.S. Senators stressed the need to continue staying diligent in the fight against Zika.
Sen. Bill Nelson told the media and mayors from Miami, Doral, North Miami and Miami-Dade County that, according to what he has been told, the problem is not close to being solved. The three term Democrat said he doesn’t expect Congress to reconvene for a special session to address funding for the fight, but thinks a plan will be approved by September.
Nelson believes that, with the current number of cases being around 7,300 across the country and U.S. territories, there could be close to 28,000 who have been stricken by Zika.
At the same time, some of the mayors expressed concern for two separate reasons. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado reiterated his displeasure with the CDC’s recommendation that pregnant women stay away from the Wynwood neighborhood as a result of the outbreak.
Regalado says there has been a 50 percent reduction in business in the area, predicting layoffs from small owned locations if the stigma continues and repeating his comments that Wynwood is "safe" for everyone.
Doral Mayor Luigi Boria expressed concern about why his city had not received mosquito spraying from the county in hopes of preventing Zika from entering the area. County officials said spraying is being done on a need basis.
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At the meeting, it was announced that there are two more scheduled aerial sprayings that will take place if weather allows. Saturday morning’s 5 a.m. flight will focus on the two square mile Wynwood area, while Sunday’s will be over the same 10 mile area that was done on Thursday.
