MIAMI – Gov. Rick Scott said Monday that Miami's Wynwood neighborhood is free of the Zika virus.
Scott said it has been 45 days since a new, locally acquired case of the Zika virus has been detected in the area.
"We had an issue, everybody took it seriously and resolved it," Scott said during a news conference.
Scott credited aggressive mosquito-control efforts and community education as the reason for eradicating the Zika virus in Miami's popular arts district.
The governor also blamed the federal government for not being a good partner in the fight against the Zika virus. He traveled to Washington last week to pressure Congress into passing a Zika virus-funding bill.
"The way I think about what the federal government is doing is every minute matters," Scott said. "Every minute we don't know more about this Zika, every minute we don't have a vaccine, is not a good day for our pregnant women or developing babies."
Scott encouraged people to return to Wynwood. His office is hosting an evening in Wynwood on Sept. 30 to celebrate and show support for businesses in the area.
State and local leaders hope Monday's good news will help boost business in Wynwood after sales took a hit when locally acquired cases were reported.
"Everyone always asks me, 'Where do you get your hats?'" U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., said. "Well, you need to know, they are made right here in Wynwood."
U.S. health officials also said Monday that they are ending their strongest warning to pregnant woman to stay out of the Wynwood area.
Dr. Lyle Peterson of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called aerial spraying "a huge success." He said the outbreak would have kept going "without the aerial spraying."
Meanwhile, aerial mosquito spraying continues in Miami Beach, where some residents and city leaders are concerned about the use of the chemical Naled.
The so-called "Zika zone" in Miami Beach was extended Friday and now encompasses about 4.5 miles.
Florida has more than 90 locally acquired cases of the mosquito-borne virus.
