Gov. Rick Scott declares Miami Beach clear of Zika virus

Last so-called 'Zika zone' in Florida cleared

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – The last so-called "Zika zone" in Miami-Dade County has been cleared.

Gov. Rick Scott said Friday that the final stretch of Miami Beach within the zone has been cleared.

"The South Beach area now does not have any local transmissions of Zika," the governor said.

Scott said the announcement means that there are no more active transmissions of the Zika virus in Florida.

The 1.5-square-mile zone stretching from Eighth Street to 28th Street was the fourth and final Zika zone in Miami-Dade County to be cleared.

Although there haven't been any locally transmitted Zika virus cases in more than a month, health and government officials said residents must remain vigilant.

"We will continue to see travelers bringing Zika infections into our state and so we must remain on alert and continue all of the protective efforts that we've been doing that have led to this success," Florida Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip said.


About the Authors:

Peter Burke returned for a second stint of duty at Local 10 News in February 2014.

Sanela Sabovic joined Local 10 News in September 2012 as an assignment editor and associate producer. In August 2015, she became a full-time reporter and fill-in traffic reporter. Sanela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a concentration in radio, television and film from DePaul University.