Escambia County COVID-19 Update #131

Updated at 3:25 p.m. June 25:
Please reference the prior updates and Escambia County COVID-19 Update #11 for a prior comprehensive running list. View an updated list of how to access county services here.  This update only includes new information we have received. Weekend updates will be distributed only when there is new information.          

Escambia County

• Hospital Information totals as of 10 a.m. June 25, 2020 (county SITREP)
  • Hospitalizations 85 (running total; this is not a total of current hospitalizations)
  • Bed Capacity 1404
  • Bed Occupancy 1071
  • Beds Available 333
  • Total Ventilators 207
  • Available Ventilators 169
• Testing Sites

Florida Department of Health in Escambia County

• FDOH-Escambia’s walk-in testing site is free to all Florida residents with or without symptoms. Pre-screening is not required. Open June 22-26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT at 1300 West Gregory St., Pensacola, FL 32502. Dates are subject to change due to inclement weather or shortage of supplies. For more information, please visit the dedicated COVID-19 webpage.  
• As of 2 p.m., June 25, Escambia County has had 1,404 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 43 individuals.
• The Florida Department of Health (the Department) releases a list of long-term care facilities in Florida associated with COVID-19 cases with active cases and number of deaths 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. 
• Printable resources for restaurants and businesses can be found on the resources page of the FDOH COVID-19 website.   

Governor's Press Office

• Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $250 million in CARES Act funding for rental and mortgage assistance for Florida families that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The initiative includes two funding pools totaling up to $240 million and sets aside up to $10 million in expected operational costs for the program.

  Rental Assistance for Affordable Rental Housing Tenants

• Administered by Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC), $120 million will be provided in short-term rental assistance for COVID-19 impacted households residing at multifamily rental properties in FHFC’s portfolio. FHFC will reimburse participating properties to subsidize eligible households’ rents for each impacted month. The rental assistance will be available to help pay a household’s rent for eligible months from July through December 2020. The household may be eligible for assistance to pay rent arrearages accrued during the months of April, May and June 2020.

  Rent and Mortgage Assistance

• A separate pool of $120 million will be released to counties based on a county’s reemployment assistance rate for the determined disbursement period. These funds would be used for rental and homeowner assistance programs such as new construction, rehabilitation, mortgage buydowns, down payment and closing cost assistance, emergency repairs and homeownership counseling for individuals impacted by COVID-19. The allocation also includes $200,000 for technical assistance to local governments.

  Operations Assistance for Special Needs Developments and Administrative Costs

• A one-time allocation of $2 million will be provided to assist with past and future costs related to additional staffing, security and supplies directly related to COVID-19 in serving special needs and homeless households residing in the supportive housing developments. The allocation will be based on each development’s total number of units.

• Additionally, $8 million will be provided in expected administrative costs, including credit underwriting, disbursement review and processing, compliance monitoring and technical assistance. Funds not used for administration, if any, would be added to Rental Assistance and/or Operations Assistance for Special Needs Developments.

• More information will be provided by Florida Housing Finance Corporation as these programs move forward at FloridaHousing.org.