Escambia County COVID-19 Update #190

Hurricane Sally updates will be released as individual news releases moving forward.
 
Updated at 3 p.m. Oct. 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.  

Escambia County

• Hospital Information totals  
  • Hospitalizations 50 (current hospitalizations as of 3 p.m. Oct. 1, 2020)
  • Bed Capacity 1,385 (as of 9:10 a.m. Oct. 1, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Bed Occupancy 999 (as of 9:10 a.m. Oct. 1, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Beds Available 386 (as of 3 p.m. Oct. 1, 2020)
  • Total Ventilators 218 (as of 3 p.m. Oct. 1, 2020)
  • Available Ventilators 137 (as of 3 p.m. Oct. 1, 2020)
• Testing sites
  • The state-sponsored testing sites at the University of West Florida and the Publix, located at 9th Ave. and Bayou Blvd., will no longer be performing testing after 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. 

Escambia County Corrections

• Cumulatively, 451 Escambia County inmates have been tested:
  • 186 positive (163 have been medically cleared due to the amount of time, and 14 have been released from custody, leaving nine active, positive cases with no medical concerns at this time)
  • 251 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., Oct. 1, Escambia County has had 12,393 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 237 individuals.
• 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 Sept. 29-Oct. 2 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.

• Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 20-246, allowing local governments to continue to meet virtually for an additional month. Local governments must be prepared to meet in person starting November 1.
• The governor also permitted Executive Order 20-211 to expire, which prohibited foreclosures and evictions. Per the office of the governor, "the Center for Disease Control recently enacted a nationwide residential evictions Order that provides federal eviction relief to persons who submit a valid Declaration to their landlord regarding their inability to pay rent. Executive Order 20-211 pertaining to the state’s mortgage foreclosure and eviction relief was permitted to expire to avoid any confusion over whether the CDC’s evictions Order should apply in a particular circumstance."
• Similar to the bridge loans available in the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor announced that the state is offering bridge loans to those businesses in the county affected by Hurricane Sally. 
• Gov. Ron DeSantis issued his daily update for today, which includes information about mental health as it relates to COVID-19, technology's role in COVID-19 preparation and the Tampa airport becoming the first airport in the country to offer COVID-19 testing to all arriving and departing passengers.