Escambia County COVID-19 Update #203

Updated at 3 p.m. Oct. 20:

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 35 (current hospitalizations as of 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 2020)
  • Bed Capacity 1,397 (as of 9:10 a.m. Oct. 20, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Bed Occupancy 1,111 (as of 9:10 a.m. Oct. 20, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Beds Available 286 (as of 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 2020)
  • Total Ventilators 215 (as of 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 2020)
  • Available Ventilators 160 (as of 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 2020)
• Testing sites
• Rapid testing information

Escambia County Corrections

• Cumulatively, 571 Escambia County inmates have been tested:
  • 205 positive (171 have been medically cleared, and 16 have been released from custody, leaving 13 active, positive cases with no medical concerns at this time)
  • 358 negative
  • 8 pending
• At the Walton County jail, 29 Escambia County inmates tested positive out of the 146 inmates housed there.

• FDOH-Escambia’s drive-thru testing site is free to all Florida residents with or without symptoms. Pre-screening is not required. Open October 19-23 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.
• 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, and all individuals should refrain from participation in social or recreational gatherings of more than 10 people.
• As of 2 p.m., October 19, Escambia County has had 13,030 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 2 p.m. CT.
• The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County is investigating a recent data dump of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County. Today’s report included 57 cases from Curative Labs that were collected in August.
• The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Escambia County residents is 269 individuals.
• 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.
• 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.
• The Florida Department of Health issued its daily update.

• Gov. Ron DeSantis issued his daily update.
• Gov. DeSantis held a press conference in Jacksonville, holding a briefing on education and COVID-19. View an archive of the press conference here.
• In his press conference, Gov. DeSantis stated school closures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are not ideal. “[Closures] don’t do anything to mitigate it, but they do cause catastrophic damage to the physical, mental and social well-being of our youth. Let’s not repeat any mistakes of the past,” DeSantis said during his press conference.
• Gov. DeSantis also discussed mental health during the time of COVID-19. On Monday, he and First Lady DeSantis announced a $5 million emergency grant to respond to mental health concerns brought on by COVID-19-related issues. During the press conference, he also indicated that additional CARES Act funding would be earmarked to fortify mental health concerns brought on by COVID-19.
• Gov. DeSantis also stated that positive tests in long-term care facilities are down 70 percent since the July peak.