Epic Hotel partly absolved in tourist’s death, stays closed

County health officials gave the recently shuttered Epic Hotel at least a partial pardon in the death of a tourist who succumbed to Legionnaire’s disease. Miami-Dade health officials said the tourist who died didn’t get the disease at the downtown luxury hotel, but that tests would continue to see if the two other victims, who fell ill but survived, had contracted the illness from bacteria in the hotel. The Epic’s water and plumbing systems will be targeted with the tests, and the hotel will remain closed in the meantime. [Miami Herald]