Updated at 3:45 p.m. Dec. 21:
For prior updates, visit https://myescambia.com/news and search by keyword: coronavirus.
Ascension Sacred Heart
- Received its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine this morning and began administering it to frontline workers who volunteered and are at-risk of being exposed, including the COVID unit, emergency room and ICU.
Baptist Health Care
- Baptist Health Care also received its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine and began administering it to employees at highest risk of exposure today.
Escambia County
- Hospital Information totals
- Hospitalizations 160 (current hospitalizations as of 2:25 p.m. Dec. 21, 2020)
- Bed Capacity 1,397 (as of 8:27 a.m. Dec. 21, 2020 (county SITREP)
- Bed Occupancy 1,014 (as of 8:27 a.m. Dec. 21, 2020 (county SITREP)
- Beds Available 442 (as of 2:25 p.m. Dec. 21, 2020)
- Total Ventilators 215 (as of 2:25 p.m. Dec. 21, 2020)
- Available Ventilators 144 (as of 2:25 p.m. Dec. 21, 2020)
- Testing sites
- Rapid testing information
- Escambia County dashboard
Escambia County Corrections
- Cumulatively, 839 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)
- 626 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. COVID-19 testing holiday schedule is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST Wednesday, Dec. 23; Monday, Dec. 28; Wednesday, Dec. 30; Monday, Jan. 4; and Thursday, Jan. 7 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 3 p.m., Dec. 21, Escambia County has had 20,162 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 343 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.
- Florida has launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Report that will be updated daily at http://FloridaHealthCOVID19.gov. This report includes a breakdown of who has received the vaccine by age, race, sex and county. Find the first report here: http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_partners/covid19_report_archive/vaccine/vaccine_report_latest.pdf
Food and Drug Administration
West Florida
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West Florida Healthcare is pleased to announce the first distribution of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has arrived. Tomorrow, we will begin administering the vaccine to our colleagues who have been identified in Tier 1 by the Federal Government and CDC Guidelines.
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The arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine is a pivotal turning point in our fight against this virus. We are grateful to be able to provide this added protection to our care team members who have been an immense source of strength and support for our communities.
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As vaccine supplies steadily increase, our goal is to make the vaccine available to every colleague who wishes to receive it. Although the vaccine will not be mandatory, we believe it is a major step in ending the pandemic.
Holiday Safety Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control
This holiday season, consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 or the flu to keep your friends, families and communities healthy and safe. Consider fun alternatives that pose lower risk of spreading COVID-19.
Several factors can contribute to the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 at small in-person gatherings. In combination, these factors will create various amounts of risk:
- Community levels of COVID-19 – High or increasing levels of COVID-19 cases in the gathering location, as well as in the areas where attendees are coming from, increase the risk of infection and spread among attendees. Family and friends should consider the number of COVID-19 cases in their community and in the community where they plan to celebrate when deciding whether to host or attend a gathering. View the Escambia County COVID-19 Dashboard or the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker County View.
- Exposure during travel – Airports, bus stations, train stations, public transport, gas stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces.
- Location of the gathering – Indoor gatherings, especially those with poor ventilation (for example, small enclosed spaces with no outside air), pose more risk than outdoor gatherings.
- Duration of the gathering – Gatherings that last longer pose more risk than shorter gatherings. Being within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more greatly increases the risk of becoming sick and requires quarantine.
- Number and crowding of people at the gathering – Gatherings with more people pose more risk than gatherings with fewer people. CDC does not have a limit or recommend a specific number of attendees for gatherings. The size of a holiday gathering should be determined based on the ability of attendees from different households to stay 6 feet (2 arm lengths) apart, wear masks, wash hands, and follow state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules and regulations.
- Behaviors of attendees prior to the gathering – Individuals who did not consistently adhere to social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart), mask wearing, handwashing, and other prevention behaviors pose more risk than those who consistently practiced these safety measures.
- Behaviors of attendees during the gathering – Gatherings with more safety measures in place, such as mask wearing, social distancing and handwashing, pose less risk than gatherings where fewer or no preventive measures are being implemented. Use of alcohol or drugs may alter judgment and make it more difficult to practice COVID-19 safety measures.
- For additional information, visit cdc.gov.
