Escambia County COVID-19 Update #78

Updated at 4:30 p.m. April 30:
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 

• The Escambia County Parks and Recreation Department and the Public Works Department are finalizing "Social Distancing" sign placement throughout Escambia County public beaches in preparation for reopening the beaches Friday, May 1. The posted signage includes beach hours of operation, 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset, and instructions on following social distancing guidelines. Two electronic messaging boards will be placed at the foot of the Bob Sikes Bridge and Theo Barrs bridges that state, “Please Practice Social Distancing.”
• At the request of the Governor’s office, the direction of the Florida Department of Emergency Management with the support of the Florida Department of Health, Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are pleased to announce a new mobile testing site at the University of West Florida that will open to the public on Saturday, May 2 at 9 a.m. The drive-through test site will be located at the SP2 parking lot, which is on the east side of campus, near the East Sports Complex. Individuals are asked to remain in their vehicles, and pre-screening is not required. The testing site will be open Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for two weeks.
• Effective Monday, May 4, outdoor athletics leagues can resume, but are asked to begin with a two-week practice phase before beginning competitions.

• Check out the latest May's Message:Commissioner Lumon May invited Dr. Michelle Grier-Hall with Community Health Northwest Florida a to provide an update about COVID-19. If you have symptoms, please call ahead to be pre-screened at 850-746-2684 before driving to Brownsville Community Center. Visit myescambia.com/covid19 for updated testing locations. If you have any questions you would like answered on the next episode, email them to [email protected].

Florida Department of Health in Escambia County 

• On Monday, April 27, 2020, the Florida National Guardsmen (FLNG) deployed to Escambia County to support Florida’s response to COVID-19. These Ambulance Strike Teams assisted in specimen collection efforts in long-term care facilities in Escambia County. Media questions relating to the FLNG and this response should be directed to [email protected] or 850-815-4940.
• As of 4 p.m., April 30, Escambia County has had 506 positive COVID-19 cases. This number is expected to change daily due to the return of results from ongoing testing. The best source for up-to-date information regarding confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Florida is the Florida Department of Health website and the associated Data and Surveillance Dashboard and Daily Report. The site is currently updated once daily, at around 3 p.m. ET.
• The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Escambia County residents is 11 individuals.
• The Florida Department of Health (the Department) announced that the list of long-term care facilities in Florida associated with COVID-19 cases will now include active cases in each facility in order to provide real-time data. The list of long-term care facilities with active COVID-19 cases is available here.
• The Department is providing a report detailing surveillance data for every Florida county. Previously, this information was only available for select communities. The surveillance data report is available 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.
• 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.

• With the recent announcement that Pensacola Beach will reopen to the public starting Friday, May 1, the Santa Rosa Island Authority welcomes the public back to the beaches. All beachgoers are reminded to observe the required social distancing guidelines. We also welcome back our threatened and endangered sea turtles, which should begin arriving on our shores very soon to begin nesting. “May 1 marks the start of sea turtle nesting season on Santa Rosa Island,” said Paolo Ghio, executive director of the SRIA. “So it’s vital that all beachgoers increase their awareness of the Leave No Trace Behind ordinance and leave only their footprints behind. This applies year-round, but is especially important during sea turtle nesting season.”
• Beginning in early May, Loggerhead, Green, and on rare occasions, Leatherback and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles choose Pensacola Beach for nesting. Mother sea turtles return to Pensacola Beach, the same beach on which they were born, to lay their eggs — usually at night. About 50 to 60 days after a mother sea turtle hauls her heavy body onto our shores, digs a hole in the sand with her flippers, and lays her eggs - her eggs are ready to hatch. Hatchling season on Pensacola Beach runs through the end of October, with the height of hatching usually in August and September.
• Nearly all species of sea turtle are classified as threatened or endangered. Baby sea turtles face many obstacles when first leaving their nests — such as raccoons, crabs, birds and fish. Sea turtle hatchlings also use the light of the moon to guide themselves to the water, but can get distracted by bright lights from the developed areas.
• Only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. That’s why it’s so important to always be respectful and considerate of nesting sea turtles and hatchlings to ensure that future generations get to enjoy them too.
• If you see a sea turtle or hatchling that is sick, injured, in distress or deceased, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 24-hour hotline at 888-404-3922. These simple measures will help these threatened and endangered species succeed, so we can continue to enjoy seeing them swim in our waters and on our shore for generations to come.