Escambia County COVID-19 Update #23

Updated at 10 a.m. March 28:
Please reference the prior updates and Escambia County COVID-19 Update #11 for a prior comprehensive running list. View an updated list of county closures and cancellations here. This update only includes new information we have received. Weekend updates will be distributed only when there is new information.
 
Escambia County 
COVID‐19 daily specimen collection totals through Friday, March 27. Testing sites include Community Health Northwest Florida, West Florida Hospital, Baptist Hospital and Ascension Sacred Heart.

• Escambia County Neighborhood and Human Services staff have placed mobile hand-washing stations at Waterfront Rescue Mission, 380 W. Herman St., and the Alfred Washburn Center, 31 Murphy Lane through utilization of Community Development Block Grant funding. The hand-washing stations have been placed in strategic areas surrounding the buildings to allow homeless individuals to practice good hygiene and hand-washing techniques. News Release
• Brownsville Community Center will offer walk-up COVID-19 testing in addition to drive-through testing beginning Monday. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, please call 850-746-2684 to be pre-screened over the phone before visiting the walk-up testing site. Tell the phone representative you plan on visiting the WALK-UP site. Read more
• Thursday night, the Emergency Operations Center received a large shipment of personal protective equipment from the state for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Face shields, gloves, gowns, and two different types of masks were provided on Friday. We would also like to thank Gulf Winds Credit Union for their generous donation of medical grade gloves and surface disinfectant for our public safety workers. Photos

Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (as of 3/28/20 9 a.m.) 

• As of 9 a.m., March 28, Escambia County has had 28 positive COVID-19 cases. This number is expected to change daily due to the return of results from ongoing testing. For the most up-to-date information regarding confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Florida, visit the COVID-19 dashboard. The site is currently updated twice daily.
• FDOH-Escambia is limiting public access to the Fairfield facility as a method of protecting the health of their clients and staff. Services will continue to be available for persons with appointments (or receiving the service). A parent or guardian may accompany a minor child if the child is receiving the service.
• Temporarily, the public entrances to the Fairfield facility will open at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays.
• To make a clinic appointment, call 850-595-6554.
• For WIC questions call 850-595-6670.
• For assistance with the steps outlined above may be obtained by calling the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County’s Coronavirus information line at 850-595-6500, option 6.
• Governor DeSantis announced on Friday, March 27 that all travelers from Louisiana will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. This will be executed through checkpoints along major highways where drivers will be directed to stop and fill out information regarding their Florida stay. Sheriffs and FHP will take lead on this. DOT will be placing signage along major roadways entering Florida. This excludes commercial travel.

Baptist Health Care COVID-19 Update #6 March 27, 2020

• We have two COVID-19 positive patients in our care at Gulf Breeze Hospital and two COVID-19 positive patients in our care at Baptist Hospital. We are following all CDC protocols to ensure the safety of our patients and team members.
• As of 7 a.m. March 27, we have collected 260 samples outside of our hospitals. Of these samples taken, 116 have resulted negative; 6 have resulted positive; and 138 results are pending. We expect to join other area providers in jointly reporting testing data soon to provide the community with an accurate accounting of COVID-19 cases in the area. 

CareerSource Escarosa

• Reemployment Assistance for Job Seekers 
• Updated Employers Hiring List