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Dallas

Florida wants ‘abundance of caution’ against Ebola

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Could Ebola come to Florida? If it does, state government officials say they want to be prepared.

Over the weekend, a Miami hospital tested a patient to rule out Ebola, despite the fact the patient “did not meet the CDC case definition” for the virus, Gov. Rick Scott said, in a release.

“The test is being conducted out of an abundance of caution,” Scott said about the efforts of both the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Florida still does not have any confirmed cases of Ebola, and we hope we never do. But we are taking every preparedness step possible to keep our citizens and our visitors safe.”

Health officials requested 30 additional Ebola testing kits from the CDC, ensuring that all of the state’s 30 public hospitals have the ability to test patients believed to be infected, the governor’s office said. The health department also requested 100 additional units of high-level personal protective equipment to ensure the state is ready to backfill any county whose medical personnel develop a future need for those supplies.

“We know Florida’s hospitals and county health offices are prepared to identify and treat patients who may have Ebola,” Scott said. “While they are prepared on the local level, the state is requesting increased federal resources out of an abundance of caution for the unlikely event that we may have an extended response that warrants additional resources.”

The health department also is working in conjunction with the CDC to determine on a case-by-case basis whether testing for Ebola is necessary. The CDC already has shared detailed recommendations to the state’s hospitals to help detect suspected Ebola among those returned from affected countries, and prevention transmission of the virus within medical facilities.

Health officials also are providing training to counties on how to investigate and respond to people suspected of contracting the virus.

Thomas Eric Duncan travelled to Texas from Liberia last month after contracting the virus, and became one of the first cases to be diagnosed in the United States. He’s currently in critical condition in a Dallas hospital, according to published reports.

Five other Americans returned home after contracting Ebola, including a missionary doctor, and a television news cameraman. One American, Patrick Sawyer, has died, after seeking treatment in a Nigerian hospital.

Housing recovery proven by Connerton success

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Connerton is trumpeting evidence of a housing recovery in Florida after selling 70 new homes in the past year, and projecting to do 120 more in 2014.

The reason for its success has come from moves its developer, Hayman Woods, did during the housing crisis, according to a release. And it started with protecting the investments of the 300 families already living there, while at the same time preparing for new buyers.

Among the things the Dallas-based developer did was:

* Pay subsidies to the homeowners association, which allowed club amenities to continue to operate at a high level throughout the downturn.

* Made what it called a substantial investment in the community development district to make sure landscaping, security and infrastructure were maintained.

* Provided incentives to bring quality home builders into the community and restart construction in early 2013. Those companies include Ryland Homes, M/I Homes, Taylor Morrison and Homes by WestBay. There are six furnished models available from these builders.

“The investments we made during the downturn are really paying dividends now,” said John Helton, senior managing director of Hayman Woods, in a release. “While lesser communities struggled and changed course, we believed in preserving the vision and continuing with the quality execution that sets Connerton apart.”

Houses at Connerton are priced between $191,990 and $524,990.

The community is located on U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, and features two miles of nature trails, a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse, and miles of winding roads and walkways.

Tampa one of nation’s top cities for job seekers

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The job market is on the slow road to recovery, but living in the Tampa Bay area still has its advantages.

A new report from WalletHub lists Tampa as the third best metropolitan area in the country for job seekers, behind only Fort Worth, Texas, and Washington, D.C.

WalletHub, a company that provides insurance information and finances for business owners, analyzed 60 of the country’s largest cities using 13 metrics ranging from job openings per capita, cost of living, and the prevalence of employer-provided health benefits.

In fact, Tampa was one of only two cities that made the top 30 — Miami just came in at the final slot. Texas, on the other hand, dominated the list with seven cities, including five in the top 10. It was broken up only by Seattle, Denver and Mesa, Ariz.

Tampa, however, has a long way to go to become an elite city for job seekers. Despite finishing in the top three, Tampa did not make the top five when it came to fastest-growing workforce (Bakersfield, Calif.), and highest median starting salary (San Jose at $57,108).

The top cities for job seekers are:

1. Fort Worth, Texas
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Tampa
4. Arlington, Texas
5. Dallas
6. Austin, Texas
7. Seattle
8. Denver
9. Mesa, Ariz.
10. Houston
11. Raleigh, N.C.
12. Corpus Christi, Texas
13. Aurora, Colo.
14. Phoenix
15. San Jose