PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Rick Falkenstein took action as soon as he heard there was a non-travel related case of the Zika virus in Pinellas County.
Falkenstein is one of the owners of the popular Hurricane Restaurant in St. Pete Beach. He went to the Centers for Disease Control website and downloaded information about Zika. He then posted it around his restaurant for customers.
“I think they need to be informed. Sorry to say, the media kind of blows things out of proportion. Nobody is going to die from this. Moms who are pregnant need to watch out,” Falkenstein said.
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He even took steps to inform his wait staff and others about the disease because he knows they often get questions from tourists. Falkenstein wanted them to have the correct information.
“I think more information is better so we can have a better understanding. The more you release the better so people have knowledge,” he said.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has been talking about the Zika virus since February, urging everyone to protect themselves from mosquitoes and to dump out standing water around their homes.
Getting Scott to talk specifics about the virus isn’t as easy. On Tuesday Scott revealed one person in Pinellas County had contracted the virus. That person did not get it by traveling out of the country or to the Miami area where other Zika cases have been transmitted by mosquitoes.
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Scott will not give out the area in Pinellas County where that person lives.
Republican Congressman David Jolly believe he should. “We don’t need to identify the individual, but I do believe we should identify the region so that Pinellas County residents can make decisions for themselves and take precautions that they feel are right for their family,” Jolly said.
“I don’t think it’s good enough to simply announce one case in Pinellas and not provide additional information,” Jolly added.
Governor Scott maintains the state has not established that the Zika virus is being transmitted by mosquitoes in Pinellas County. He said it would not be helpful to give out a location.
“When we believe there’s local transmission, we’re going to put that out there,” Scott said.
