Escambia County COVID-19 Update #178

Updated at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 1:
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.   

Coffee with the Commissioner

• Join District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh at his virtual 53rd Coffee with the Commissioner event Wednesday, Sept. 2. The live stream will take place from 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. Guests will include Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley and Emergency Manger Eric Gilmore. The discussion will focus on COVID-19 and other county-related topics. Residents are encouraged to send virtual questions and comments they would like to discuss with their District 1 Commissioner during the event through Facebook. To join, simply go to the following Facebook page at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2 and watch the live stream: www.facebook.com/CommissionerBergosh/. 

Escambia CARES Rent, Mortgage & Utility Assistance Available

• Escambia County and the City of Pensacola are jointly participating in the Coronavirus Relief Funds made available by Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Approximately $813,451 will be made available Tuesday, Sept. 1 to assist eligible applicants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with rent, mortgage, and/or utility assistance. Applications are and will be accepted through Monday, Sept. 14 or until all funding has been committed.
• The eligibility requirements for these funds as required by the State of Florida are:
  • Is your combined annual household income below the 120% area median income level?
  • Are you delinquent on your rent, mortgage and/or utility payments? (utilities include electric, natural gas, propane, water, sewer, and trash). Please note – Documented evidence required.
  • Are you a resident living in Escambia County?
  • Do you have proof of loss of employment income or reduction of employment income due to COVID-19 impacts on or after March 1, 2020?
  • IF YOU ANSWERED “NO” TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ESCAMBIA COUNTY CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND RENT, MORTGAGE, AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE. 

Escambia County

• Hospital Information totals  
  • Hospitalizations 117 (current hospitalizations as of 3 p.m. Sept. 1, 2020)
  • Bed Capacity 1385 (as of 9:10 a.m. Sept. 1, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Bed Occupancy 965 (as of 9:10 a.m. Sept. 1, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Beds Available 420 (as of 3 p.m. Sept. 1, 2020)
  • Total Ventilators 222 (as of 3 p.m. Sept. 1, 2020)
  • Available Ventilators 145 (as of 3 p.m. Sept. 1, 2020)
• It has been requested to provide our daily COVID employee data. This spreadsheet shows what is currently happening and is not historical data.
• View Escambia County COVID-19 dashboard.
• Testing sites

Escambia County Corrections

• Cumulatively, 258 Escambia County inmates have been tested:
  • 160 positive (149 have been medically cleared due to the amount of time and nine have been released from custody, leaving 2 active, positive case with no medical concerns at this time)
  • 98 negative
  • 0 pending
• At the Walton County jail, 29 Escambia County inmates tested positive out of the 146 inmates housed there.

• The Florida Department of Health (the Department) issued a Public Health Advisory recommending the following: all individuals in Florida should wear face coverings in any setting where social distancing is not possible. All individuals should refrain from participation in social or recreational gatherings of more than 10 people.

• As of 2 p.m., Sept. 1, Escambia County has had 11,256 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 188 individuals.
• The Department releases a list of long-term care facilities in Florida associated with COVID-19 cases with active cases and the 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.
• 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.  
• FDOH-Escambia Downtown Center – Walk-in testing, no appointment needed for all Florida residents with or without symptoms, all ages. Bring your Florida driver’s license. Open Aug. 31-Sept. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1300 W. Gregory St., Pensacola. Dates are subject to change due to inclement weather or shortage of supplies. Cloth face coverings are required to enter the building for testing.
• The Florida Department of Health announced it was severing ties with Quest Diagnostics for failing to report results in a timely manner. On Monday, Aug. 31, the state was informed that Quest entered a backlog of thousands of test results into the state's monitoring system, some dating back to as far back as April and most were over two weeks old. Without the backlog of Quest results, the positivity rate for new cases on Aug. 31, 2020 remained under 6%.

Governor's Ron DeSantis' Updates

• Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Monday, Aug. 31, in reference to foreclosures and evictions. Executive Order 20-211 extended Executive Order 20-180 through October 1, 2020. Executive Order 20-180 halts the final action of certain foreclosures and evictions, specifically in situations caused by the COVID-19 emergency. This executive order only applies to residential tenants.
• Read the governor's daily briefing from Tuesday, Sept. 1.