Escambia County COVID-19 Update #56

Updated at 4:15 p.m. April 17:
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 

(A hi-res version of this image is attached at the bottom of the press release) 

• The Escambia County Public Safety Department has introduced three new ambulances to their fleet, along with 60 new pediatric resuscitation system units and 42 active shooter kits.
• The Board of County Commissioners will hold a special meeting Tuesday, April 28 at 10 a.m. to discuss reopening Escambia County public beaches, and the public is strongly encouraged to participate electronically to comply with the Governor's Safer at Home Executive Order 20-91. This meeting will be streamed live and archived online for virtual viewing. The meeting will be in the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, BCC Meeting Room. The public is strongly encouraged to provide input on this agenda item prior to the Board meeting. A public input form has been made available.
• Baptist Health Care is now sanitizing N-95 respirator masks for Escambia County first responders so they can be reused in the field. Baptist Health Care is using robotic ultraviolet technology to sanitize the N-95 masks used by team members within the hospital and clinics. The process, called ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or UVGI, allows each mask to be used up to four times before it is discarded.

Florida Department of Health in Escambia County 

• As of 4:15 p.m., April 17, Escambia County has had 290 positive COVID-19 cases. These numbers are 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.
• To view demographics of cases in Escambia County, visit the COVID-19 dashboard and select Escambia County. The following case data will appear: age, gender, race, and ethnicity.
• Florida residents are encouraged to take the COVID-19 Community Action Survey by visiting: www.StrongerThanC19.com.
• Use the COVID 19 testing self-checker to determine if you need to call your healthcare provider to be tested.
• Need extra support dealing with stress and coping during this time? Find a list of available resources at Escambiahealth.com.
• Guidelines on making and wearing cloth face coverings can be found at CDC.gov.