Updated at 3:05 p.m. Feb. 24:
For prior updates, visit myescambia.com/news#coronavirus.
Vaccination Information for Adults 65 and Older:
- Ascension Sacred Heart- Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart will hold a special COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Feb. 26 for Florida residents with developmental and intellectual disabilities who also have conditions that put them at high risk for serious complications from COVID-19. The clinic will include vaccinations for persons with Down syndrome.
The vaccination clinic will be held at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults with Down syndrome have an increased risk of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers in the United Kingdom have estimated that people with Down Syndrome have a four-fold increased risk for hospitalization from COVID-19 and a 10-fold increased risk for COVID-related death.
Down syndrome appeared in the CDC’s Dec. 23 update to its list of higher risk conditions linked to severe COVID-19 complications. Persons with Down syndrome are more likely to have congenital heart defects and chronic heart conditions, as well as diabetes, asthma or a compromised immune system.
The Feb. 26 clinic also will provide vaccinations for persons with developmental disabilities who have chronic medical conditions that make them highly vulnerable to COVID-19 complications. Those regarded as extremely vulnerable to the virus include patients with cancer, COPD, weakened immune systems, chronic kidney diseases, certain heart conditions, obesity, Down syndrome, diabetes, and sickle cell disease.
- An appointment scheduled in advance is required to attend the clinic. No walk-in patients will be accepted. A parent or legal guardian may be required to attend to give consent for vaccination.
- Florida residents interested in arranging an appointment for the Feb. 26 clinic should send an email to Covid19vaccinesupport@ascension.org. When completing an email request, please add in the subject line: "Clinic for adults with disabilities" and, in the email, include the patient's first and last name, date of birth, a brief description of the qualifying high-risk medical condition, and the patient's primary care provider.
- Ascension Medical Group staff will give shots with the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to up to 400 people who meet the special needs criteria. All participants will be expected to return for a second dose of the vaccine on March 26. Monitor the Sacred Heart Facebook page for more announcements.
- Baptist Health Care- Appointments are now available at Baptist Health Care for COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals age 65 and older, frontline health care workers and individuals deemed by their physician to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. Appointments can be made online at http://bit.ly/3pfWxNt. Appointments are limited and new appointments will be added as Baptist receives more vaccine.
- Florida Department of Health, Escambia County- FDOH-Escambia will schedule appointments based on supply availability. For the most up-to-date information, follow them on Twitter at @HealthyEscambia and visit EscambiaHealth.com. Escambia County residents who are 65 years and older and healthcare workers should use the statewide preregistration system to sign up for vaccination. Residents can call the toll-free line at 866-201-1025 or register online at myvaccine.fl.gov. The TTY number for the deaf and hard of hearing is 833-476-1461. Registrants will be notified when appointments are available in their area. The State has established a help line at 833-959-0217 for those who need to make changes to their original pre-registration.
- This pre-registration system will proactively contact vaccine-eligible individuals to schedule appointments when they are available at health department or emergency management vaccine sites. Appointments are opened based upon the vaccine supply received each week from the State of Florida. Please be aware that when Sharecare calls or texts you to schedule an appointment, they will NOT ask for financial information or social security information.
- FDOH-Escambia received its allocation of COVID-19 second dose vaccine for the weeks of February 15 and February 22, 2021. Persons that had appointments for second dose vaccination on February 18, 2021 are being rescheduled to receive their vaccine this week. Persons that have appointments for second dose vaccination this week will receive their vaccine as scheduled.
- Florida- Sign up for text message updates about the vaccine and distribution by texting "FLCOVID19" to 888777. After you submit the text message, it will ask you to supply your zip code for local-level updates. Information about the statewide vaccine distribution plan can be found at floridahealthcovid19.gov/covid-19-vaccines-in-florida/.
- Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System- The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System's Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola and the Biloxi Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Mississippi will offer COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. based on availability. Veterans interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can register by calling 1-800-296-8872.
The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
- CVS- CVS Health is partnering with several local state and federal programs to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible populations. Appointments will be available as they receive vaccines from these programs.
- Register in advance at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. People without online access can contact CVS customer service at (800) 746-7287.
- Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided.
- Publix - Publix will continue to announce appointment dates. Monitor Publix's online portal here.
BRACE
- Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies is in need of volunteers for the Brownsville COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Smaller weekly vaccination events are planned to take place every Thursday in February. Multiple shifts are available. The weekly COVID-19 vaccine distribution takes place from 8 a.m. to noon every Thursday through Feb. 25. Interested parties can sign up at https://uwwf.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=564757. All sessions take place at the Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. De Soto St. Call 850-739-3983 or visit bereadyalliance.org for details.
Community Health Northwest Florida
Escambia County
- Hospital Information totals
- Hospitalizations 97 (current hospitalizations as of 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 2021)
- Bed Capacity 1,397 (county SITREP)
- Bed Occupancy 1,128 (county SITREP)
- Beds Available 367 (as of 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 2021)
- Total Ventilators 215 (as of 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 2021)
- Available Ventilators 142 (as of 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 2021)
- Recovered 30,843* (Approximate: total cases prior to last month minus deaths)
- To view the county's Crude Case-Recovery Risk and a detailed explanation of the formula by which it is calculated, visit the Escambia County COVID-19 dashboard. The current Crude Case-Recovery Risk is 97.95% (as of 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 2021)
- Testing sites
- Rapid testing information
- Appointments are available for Escambia County residents who are 3 months and older and are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Patients desiring COVID-19 testing through Ascension Sacred Heart's locations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties should pre-register online by visiting: www.getsacredheartcare.com to be pre-screened and scheduled (if eligible) or call Community Health Northwest Florida at 850-390-4276. Rapid testing is offered for symptomatic individuals by appointment only.
- Escambia County dashboard
Escambia County Corrections
- Cumulatively, 1,167 Escambia County inmates have been tested:
- 242 positive (219 have been medically cleared, and 22 have been released from custody, leaving 1 active, positive cases at this time)
- 925 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 received its allocation of COVID-19 second dose vaccine for the weeks of February 15 and February 22, 2021. Persons that had appointments for second dose vaccination on February 18, 2021 are being rescheduled to receive their vaccine this week. Persons that have appointments for second dose vaccination this week will receive their vaccine as scheduled.
- Escambia County residents who are 65 years and older and healthcare workers should use the statewide preregistration system to sign up for vaccination. Residents can call the toll-free line at 866-201-1025 or preregister online at myvaccine.fl.gov. The TTY number for the deaf and hard of hearing is 833-476-1461. Registrants will be notified when appointments are available in their area. The State has established a help line at 833-959-0217 for those who need to make changes to their original pre-registration. This pre-registration system will proactively contact vaccine-eligible individuals to schedule appointments when they are available at health department or emergency management vaccine sites. Appointments are opened based upon the vaccine supply received each week from the State of Florida. Please be aware that when ShareCare calls you to schedule an appointment, they will NOT ask for financial information or social security information.
- If you have pre-registered, we ask for your patience. The demand is high, and the supply is currently limited. As we received vaccine, we work to schedule appointments as quickly as we can. We encourage residents to take advantage of opportunities offered through other partners to get vaccinated.
- State Surgeon General Scott Rivkees issued a Public Health Advisory on January 21 prioritizing vaccines for residents of the State of Florida or individuals in Florida for the purpose of providing health care services involving direct contact with patients.
- FDOH-Escambia highlights recent efforts in providing the COVID-19 vaccine in Escambia County.
- FDOH-Escambia announced this week’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan in Escambia County in partnership with Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist Health Care, Community Health Northwest Florida, West Florida Hospital and Woodlands Medical Specialists.
- Florida has launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Report that will be updated daily. As of February 24, 38,785 Escambia County residents have been vaccinated.
- 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., February 24, Escambia County has had 33,391 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 618 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.
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Governor's Press Office
