Updated at 2:45 p.m. Dec. 15:
Please reference the prior updates and Escambia County COVID-19 Update #11for 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 148 (current hospitalizations as of 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15, 2020)
- Bed Capacity 1,397 (as of 8:55 a.m. Dec. 15, 2020 (county SITREP)
- Bed Occupancy 1,033 (as of 8:55 a.m. Dec. 15, 2020 (county SITREP)
- Beds Available 364 (as of 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15, 2020)
- Total Ventilators 215 (as of 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15, 2020)
- Available Ventilators 140 (as of 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15, 2020)
- Testing sites
- Rapid testing information
- Escambia County dashboard
Baptist Health Care
- Over the past several months, Baptist Health Care has worked diligently to establish a plan for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.
- Five Florida hospitals (located in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami) received the Pfizer vaccine in the initial shipment that went out Monday, Dec. 14. However, an additional supply of the Pfizer vaccine is expected to follow as further shipments roll out in the next several weeks.
- Baptist requested both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. We expect to begin receiving the Moderna vaccines as early as next week, pending appropriate approvals, which could happen as early as this week.
- Baptist has a sub-zero temperature freezer in place to house the Pfizer vaccine if needed. It was already in place as part of the regular inventory of equipment. The Moderna vaccine does not require such low-temperature storage.
- As with any preventive vaccine or therapeutic medication that requires such storage, protocols are in place to ensure that all storage requirements are met.
- Vaccine distribution will be conducted in accordance with the CDC recommendations and the Florida COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. Visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/hcp.html and https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/covid-19-vaccines-in-florida/.
- Initially, Baptist employees and providers who are at the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19, including those who work in critical care areas and emergency departments, will have the opportunity to receive the vaccine. It will be strongly encouraged but not mandatory.
- Other employees will have the opportunity to receive the vaccine as greater quantities become available.
- While the entire situation carries several unknowns, Baptist Health Care stands ready to adapt as needed to protect the health of the communities it serves. The public should continue diligent efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by wearing masks, practicing social distancing, washing hands frequently and limiting gatherings.
Center for Disease Control
Escambia County Corrections
- Cumulatively, 826 Escambia County inmates have been tested:
- 213 positive (196 have been medically cleared, and 17 have been released from custody, leaving no active, positive cases at this time)
- 613 negative
- 0 pending
- At the Walton County jail, 29 Escambia County inmates tested positive out of the 146 inmates housed there.
Florida Department of Health in Escambia County
- FDOH-Escambia’s testing site is free to all Florida residents with or without symptoms. Pre-screening is not required. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST on Thursday, Dec. 17, at 1300 W. Gregory St. 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., Dec. 14, Escambia County has had 18,998 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 336 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.
- 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.
- The Florida Department of Health has launched Healthy Together, a mobile app that can help a person view their test results, assess their symptoms and learn what to do after they have been tested for COVID-19. The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store by searching for “Healthy Together”. Individuals whose results are uploaded into Healthy Together with a phone number will automatically receive a text notifying them that their results are available in the app.
Naval Hospital Pensacola
