Escambia County COVID-19 Update #38

Updated at 3:15 p.m. April 6:
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 

• View a listing of Escambia County offices and departments closed Friday, April 10 in observance of the Good Friday holiday.
• Join District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh at his virtual 34th Coffee with the Commissioner Event Wednesday, April 8. The live stream will take place from 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. Guests will include Janice Gilley, Escambia County administrator, Eric Gilmore, Escambia County Emergency Manager, Dawn Rudolph, President and CEO of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, and Justin Labrato, President of Ascension Medical Group. To join, simply go to the following Facebook page at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 8 and watch the live stream: https://www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/. 

Meeting cancellations:

• Youth Commission - April 21

Escambia County School District

• Escambia County School District Superintendent Malcolm Thomas wishes to remind all members of the media covering schools, classes, teachers, students and/or relatives of students, to be aware that Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) rights for students have not been waived.  The Escambia County School District has families who have requested their student(s) not be photographed or recorded at school or during school activities.  This includes online and web based virtual classes currently being utilized.  Although such parental requests are typically tracked by school staff members, these records are maintained on site at the school, and will not be readily available for employees currently working remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions.

• Reporters interested in participating in an online class as part of a news story should send a request, well in advance, to kstefansson@ecsdfl.us to allow proper arrangements within FERPA guidelines with regards to photos and video recording.  In addition, current Florida law requires anyone recording another person to inform that person that they are being recorded.  Escambia County School District administrators and instructional personnel have been reminded of this requirement.  Parents and guardians will also be notified that they do not have permission to record and/or photograph students participating in the online classroom setting.

Florida Department of Health in Escambia County

• As of 1 p.m., April 6, Escambia County has had 136 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.
• Florida residents are encouraged to do their part in helping Florida flatten the curve by anonymously answering questions that range from age and residency, to recent travel, to potential COVID-19 contact. The StrongerThanC-19 community action survey is designed to gather information to help the Department track and slow the spread of COVID-19 in Florida; it is not a symptom checker designed to dispense medical advice. The StrongerThanC-19 community action survey is free to use and can be accessed by visiting: www.StrongerThanC19.com.