Escambia County COVID-19 Update #179

Updated at 3:15 p.m. Sept. 2:
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  
  • Hospitalizations 107 (current hospitalizations as of 3 p.m. Sept.2, 2020)
  • Bed Capacity 1385 (as of 9:10 a.m. Sept. 2, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Bed Occupancy 1075 (as of 9:10 a.m. Sept. 2, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Beds Available 310 (as of 3 p.m. Sept. 2, 2020)
  • Total Ventilators 222 (as of 3 p.m. Sept. 2, 2020)
  • Available Ventilators 147 (as of 3 p.m. Sept. 2, 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
• District 1 County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh held his 53rd Coffee with the Commissioner meeting virtually this morning. A recorded archive of his conversation, which included an update on COVID-19-related topics and a conversation with County Administrator Janice Gilley, Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore and Corrections Chief Rich Powell is available via this link.
• REMINDER: The Escambia CARES Rent, Mortgage & Utility Assistance Grant application is ongoing and is available via this website. Applicants must be behind in their mortgage, rent or utilities payments and must have had a reduction of income due to COVID-19 related issues. This grant is not to be confused with the Escambia Cares Family Emergency Financial Assistance Grant Program or the Escambia Cares Business Emergency Financial Assistance Grant Program. Applications for those grants will be available later this month. As of yesterday, the first day applications were accepted, the county has received 611 applications.

Escambia County Corrections

• Cumulatively, 300 Escambia County inmates have been tested:
  • 166 positive (149 have been medically cleared due to the amount of time and nine have been released from custody, leaving eight active, positive case with no medical concerns at this time)
  • 134 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 11,312 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 189 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.
• Data reported to the Department of Health on Sept. 2 shows a steady decline statewide in the number of reported Florida resident deaths who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19. Compared to the fourth week of July, the fourth week of August showed a 75 percent decrease in the average number of reported COVID-19 related deaths.

• The Florida Division of Emergency Management issued an emergency order that lifted restrictions on visits to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult care and group homes and other long-term care facilities. In order to accept visitors, a facility must be able to meet the following requirements (provided the visitors are screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to entry):
  • No new COVID-19 cases amongst residents within 14 days
  • Sufficient staff to support visitation
  • Adequate PPE for the facility
  • Adequate cleaning and disinfecting supplies
  • Adequate capacity at referring hospitals for the facility
  • If a staff member tests positive, the facility must cease all indoor and outdoor visitation in the event that staff person was in the facility in the 10 days prior to the positive test

• General visitors will need to be 18 years of age or older, wear a face mask, sign a consent form indicating they understand the facility’s visitation policies, comply with facility-provided COVID-19 testing if offered and maintain social distance of at least six feet with staff and residents. Facilities are still required to establish limits on the number of visitors, pre-schedule visitations and clean and disinfect between visitations. Additionally, only two adult visitors will be allowed at a time in each facility. Visitors must pre-schedule visitation times.

Governor's Office

• Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Tuesday, Sept. 1, extending the deadline for 2019-20 high school graduates to earn the minimum SAT or ACT qualifying score to earn a Bright Futures Scholarship. The deadline has been extended to Dec. 1, 2020.