Escambia County COVID-19 Update #63

Updated at 10:45 a.m. April 22:
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.  

Baptist Health Care

• In compliance with CDC guidelines, Baptist Health Care now requires that all patients, guests and vendors bring and wear a mask or other face covering while on any of our campuses to support our organization’s diligent efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ensure we have enough masks and personal protective equipment required to last until the threat of COVID-19 has passed. Screening continues to be conducted at entrances to Baptist facilities. Patients who are identified as having symptoms or a risk factor will be given a mask at the door if they do not already have one. In addition, patients should avoid bringing a guest to appointments if possible. If it is necessary for someone to be with the patient, the guest should bring and wear a mask; any guests with COVID-19 symptoms or a risk factor will be asked to wait outside the building. All team members are required to wear masks at work.

• The Baptist Health Care media team has developed special instructions for reporting from Baptist Health Care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reporters, editors and producers are encouraged to visit https://ebaptisthealthcare.org/news-media to become familiar with the adjustments that have been made to the procedure for making inquiries and interview requests.

Escambia County  

• Last night, the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center received 71,000 procedural masks for long-term care facilities. There will be 15 masks provided for each licensed bed.
• As of  3 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, Escambia County area hospitals reported 220 total ventilators with 182 available, and 1,315 total beds with 521 available.

Florida Department of Health in Escambia County 

• As of 10:15 a.m., April 22, Escambia County has had 340 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.
• The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Escambia County residents is 10 individuals.
• As of 10 p.m., April 22, there are 86 cases among residents or staff in long term care facilities. The Florida Department of Health has published the list of facilities here.
• 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 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.
• 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. 

• Ascension Sacred Heart has opened a drive-through respiratory clinic located at 4521 N. Davis Highway for patients who have previously tested positive with COVID-19 and would like to return to work. Patients should call the COVID-19 hotline to make an appointment for a follow up exam to return to work. At the respiratory drive-through clinic, a physician will fully examine the patient while in the vehicle. The physician may choose to re-test the patient or give the patient a letter with a recommendation to return-to-work based on the non-test-based evaluation. The hours of the drive through clinic are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the COVID-19 hotline is 833-981-0712.
• The Senate approved a measure Tuesday that would revive a program geared to keep small businesses from shuttering and their employees from going on unemployment because of the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. More than $320 billion was added to the program that ran out of cash last week. To read more about the legislation, click here. 
• Tourism and Restaurant members of Governor Ron DeSantis’ Reopen Florida committee held their initial meeting to discuss how to safely reopen these industries in the coming weeks. Read more about the meeting here.