Escambia County COVID-19 Update #216

Updated at 3:20 p.m. Nov. 6:

Please reference the prior updates and Escambia County COVID-19 Update #11 for a prior comprehensive running list. 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 64 (current hospitalizations as of 2 p.m. Nov. 6, 2020)
  • Bed Capacity 1,397 (as of 9:15 a.m. Nov. 6, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Bed Occupancy 1,014 (as of 9:15 a.m. Nov. 6, 2020 (county SITREP) 
  • Beds Available 383 (as of 2 p.m.. Nov. 6, 2020)
  • Total Ventilators 215 (as of 2 p.m. Nov. 6, 2020)
  • Available Ventilators 146 (as of 2 p.m. Nov. 6, 2020)
• Testing sites
• Rapid testing information

Ascension Sacred Heart 

• On Saturday, Nov. 7, Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart will offer rapid COVID-19 testing as well as the more common test that requires nasal swabs to be sent to a certified hospital laboratory for analysis. 

  The two types of tests will be provided at Ascension Sacred Heart's drive-thru center off Bayou Boulevard in Pensacola from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday, but all interested persons must be screened in advance by first calling 850-746-2684. 

  The rapid COVID-19 testing is being performed in partnership with Escambia County and Community Health Northwest Florida.  The county allocated federal CARES Act funds to support the purchase of Abbott ID NOW rapid test kits. 

  For Saturday's testing, the rapid test will be provided at no cost, but it will be reserved for residents of Escambia County who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. The rapid test is more valuable and accurate when testing symptomatic patients only; the fast results limit an infected person's exposure to others.

  For anyone without symptoms or for people from outside Escambia County, the drive-thru center will offer the PCR test that is sent to the lab.

Escambia County Corrections

• Cumulatively, 652 Escambia County inmates have been tested:
  • 210 positive (192 have been medically cleared, and 17 have been released from custody, leaving one active, positive cases with no medical concerns at this time)
  • 443 negative
  • 0 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 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CST on Tuesday, Nov. 10; Thursday, Nov. 12; and Friday, Nov. 13 (closed on Monday, Nov.  9, and Wednesday, Nov. 11) 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., Nov. 6, Escambia County has had 14,139 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 total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Escambia County residents is 274 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.