Federal and state leaders visited South Florida today to talk about the Zika virus.
Governor Rick Scott held a roundtable discussion in Delray Beach. The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy met pregnant women in Miami.
Luan Kins received good news. His wife, who is 7-months pregnant with their second son, tested negative for Zika.
The couple visited the Health Department today to get results of a free test the state is offering to pregnant women.
“She doesn't have anything, it's very good for the baby, for the mom,” Kins said.
A group of pregnant women hope its test results also come back negative. The women live in the Miami neighborhood where experts say mosquitoes are transmitting Zika.
Dr. Murthy traveled from Washington, D.C. to meet with the women.
Babies carried by pregnant women who get the Zika virus are at greater risk for birth defects.
55 pregnant women in Florida tested positive for Zika.
“We don't want to have children in our state born with microcephaly,” said Governor Rick Scott. “We’ve already had one, fortunately, it was a travel-related case. Just think of the impact on that child, on that family.”
Scott ordered health departments to test pregnant women for Zika for free. In Palm Beach County, the health department has tested more than 50 pregnant women for Zika. So far, the results that have come back are negative.
At a roundtable forum in Delray Beach, Scott renewed his call for congress to end its summer recess early and pass laws to fund the fight against Zika.
“The federal government's got to show up, they've got to figure out how to work together,” Scott said.
At the roundtable meeting, Scott and Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart announced the department offered to give bug spray to schools for free.
But schools in Palm Beach County will pass on the state’s offer. Policies prohibit school employees from applying insect repellant on students.
“If parents are concerned, they certainly can spray their kids on the way out in the morning, they can make that decision. But as a school system, we can't make that decision for them,” said Dr. Robert Avossa, superintendent of Pam Beach County schools.
He explained the only way he will change the district’s policy is if the state department of health issues a standing order to do so.
“We’re going to work all the local officials and experts and if the time comes and if we have to do that, we will,” Avossa said.
Meanwhile, the district will make sure there is no standing water on campus to prevent mosquitos from breeding.
School leaders suggest students wear long sleeves to protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitos.
