World Health Organization Update

SITUATION IN NUMBERS total (new) cases in last 24 hours  (last updated 10:00 AM CET 3/25/2020)

Globally 413 467 confirmed (40 712)

18 433 deaths (2202)

Western Pacific Region 97 766 confirmed (1186)

3518 deaths (16)

European Region 220 516 confirmed (25 007)

11 986 deaths (1797)

South-East Asia Region 2344 confirmed (354)

72 deaths (7)

Eastern Mediterranean Region 29 631 confirmed (2416)

2008 deaths (131)

Region of the Americas 60 834 confirmed (11 390)

813 deaths (248)

African Region 1664 confirmed (359)

29 deaths (3)

 

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Florida Health Department Update (last updated 3/25/2020)

 

Stats Update

  • Florida Confirmed Cases: 1,977 (23 deaths)
  • Lee County Confirmed Cases: 52 (3 deaths)
  • Estero Confirmed Cases: 2 (0 deaths)
  • At the direction of Governor DeSantis, State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees declared a Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 in Florida.
  • Governor DeSantis announced that the State ordered an additional 2,500 test kits to supplement the adequate resources already available to test for COVID-19. These additional test kits will enable the Department of Health, working with Florida health care providers, to test up to an additional 625,000 individuals. The Governor also suspended non-essential in state and all out-of-state travel for state employees for 30 days.
  • Established an Incident Management Team to coordinate response operations.
  • Defined a high-level phased response strategy for COVID-19.
  • Activated a dedicated incident command post for on-site response activities.
  • Conducted three public health and health care stakeholder conference calls to provide statewide updates on the current outbreak situation, response actions and guidance for pandemic planning. Over five hundred participants joined the calls.
  • Established a public call center for questions regarding COVID-19. The call center launched Monday, March 2 and is open 24/7.
  • Developed and distributed COVID-19 presentation materials to County Health Departments (CHD) for use at community meetings.
  • Activated the Joint Information Center in coordination with the Division of Emergency Management.
  • Developed and implemented protocols for investigation, surveillance and monitoring for COVID-19 to rapidly detect and contain cases.
  • Established mechanisms for monitoring and coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding epidemiological activities.
  • Distributed CDC Interim Guidance for public health personnel evaluating Persons Under Investigation (PUI) and asymptomatic close contacts of confirmed cases at their home or non-home residential settings to CHDs.
  • Approved and disseminated an updated Clinician Screening Tool for identifying COVID-19 PUIs.
  • Implemented testing at all three State Public Health Laboratories.
  • Distributed updated CDC guidance for schools to CHDs and the Department of Education.
  • Distributed updated laboratory guidance regarding implementation of testing at State Public Health Laboratories.
  • Developing a laboratory surge plan.
  • Identifying and monitoring close contacts of presumptive cases. Any close contacts with symptoms will be tested.
  • Implemented private lab testing.
  • Developed and disseminated pandemic planning guidance.
  • Advised CHDs and HCCs to retain expired personal protective equipment until further until further notice.
  • Developing infographics for first responders (fire, law enforcement and EMS) regarding infection control and personal protection for COVID-19.
  • At the Governor’s direction, a public-private partnership has been put in place between Memorial Healthcare in Broward and the National Guard to set up a mobile testing unit.
  • At the direction of Governor DeSantis hiring additional epidemiologists from university health programs to help with workload.
  • Governor DeSantis directed the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to extend all existing nursing home and assisted living facility licenses for 90 days to remove distraction from patient care.
  • Developed a public website for addressing COVID-19: floridahealthcovid19.gov.
  • Launched an interactive data tracking dashboard on floridahealthcovid19.com that is updated twice daily.
  • Developing protocols for County Health Departments in the protection of their staff and clinic activities through the development of safety and health guidance.
  • Continue to have daily hospital calls and began having daily calls with the aging and vulnerable population groups.
  • Continue to coordinate efforts for obtaining lab testing supplies.

THE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

  • To support communities responding to COVID-19, Governor DeSantis has directed FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz to expedite the delivery of more than $170 million in Hurricane Irma reimbursements to cities, counties and hospital districts that have now reached the 50-percent auditing threshold to receive funds.
  • After conducting a thorough assessment of needs, Director Moskowitz has requested the following supplies through Direct Federal Assistance. Supplies are being delivered on a rolling basis, and inventory is being distributed throughout the state 24 hours a day.
    • 5 mobile intensive care units
    • 5,000 ventilators
    • 5,000 hospital beds
    • 50,000 two oz. bottles of hand sanitizer
    • 250,000 coveralls
    • 500,000 gloves
    • 500,000 gowns
    • 500,000 collection kits
    • 100,000 16 oz. bottles of hand sanitizers
    • 150,000 Personal Protective Equipment kits, including coveralls, gowns, and goggles
    • 2 million N95 face masks
  • Find more information on DEM’s response to COVID-19 here.

AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION

  • AHCA expanded its event on the Emergency Status System (ESS) requesting hospitals to enter information on Personal Protective Equipment and ventilator counts. The ESS continues to track census information, emergency room status updates, isolation beds, and nursing home and assisted living facility bed capacity.
  • AHCA and the Department issued guidance for Senior Living Communities (independent living) on COVID-19 best practices, advising facilities to cease communal activities, practice social distancing and restrict community outings.
  • AHCA distributed telemedicine guidance to health care providers for behavior analysis services.
  • AHCA distributed an overview to iBudget providers of the revised payment methodology that will be used over the next few months to help support providers of adult day training, residential habilitation, life skills development level 1-companion and in-home personal supports. Retention payments will be made to give necessary financial support to providers who would otherwise not receive payment due to current public distancing requirements.
  • Secretary Mayhew is working directly with hospitals and large health systems to identify potential vacant wings or buildings to provide additional hospital inpatient capacity should it become necessary.
  • On March 16, Florida became the first state to receive CMS approval of its 1135 Medicaid Waiver giving AHCA more flexibility for its COVID-19 response efforts. This federal action lifts Medicaid prior authorization requirements for critical health care services and allows for expedited provider enrollment.
  • The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) will be granting a 90-day extension to all licenses for health care providers and regulated facilities.
  • AHCA is distributing information regarding regulatory flexibilities created by waivers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) related to skilled nursing facilities, critical access hospitals, home health agencies, durable medical equipment, provider enrollment, etc.

 

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Lee Health Update

 

Daily Stats (last update 3/25/2020)

As of today, Lee Health has:

  • 8 COVID-19 patients isolated in our hospitals
  • Submitted 1,441 specimens for testing
  • 79 employees quarantined
  • Click here for table showing specimens sent to the lab, positive cases currently in our hospitals, presumptive positive cases and telemedicine visits.

Total Cases in Lee County

  • Lee County Confirmed Cases: 52 (3 deaths)
  • Estero Confirmed Cases: 2 (0 deaths)

Today’s News

Majority of Cases in Lee County Attributed to Community Spread – Continue Social Distancing

According to the Florida Department of Health, less than 30% of the cases of COVID-19 in Lee County are travel-related, which means the majority of the cases are due to community spread. We all must take steps to reduce human contact to slow the spread of COVID-19. Measures like staying home, limiting our contact with others and avoiding people who are coughing or sneezing, help reduce the rate of spread and the number of people who will eventually get infected. Social distancing protects those who are most at risk if they do get infected.

Thank You, SWFL

The Lee Health Foundation has received great community support from many schools, businesses and individuals contributing masks, gowns, gloves and more personal protective equipment (PPE). The team continues to collect these items at the Foundation offices at Medical Plaza One. We are also grateful for the Cape Coral Hospital Auxiliary, the Gulf Coast Medical Center Auxiliary and the Lee Memorial Auxiliary for their generous contributions of $50,000 each, for a total of $150,000, in support of our COVID-19 efforts. For more information about the  Lee Health and NCH Healthcare System joint fundraising campaign, go to www.SWFLtogether.org.

Blood Donations

If you are interested in finding out about upcoming blood drives, or to find out if there is a blood drive near you, call the Blood Center at 343-2333.

Follow Us on Facebook and Stay Up-to-Date on LeeHealth.org

If you don’t already, follow us on Facebook. We are posting a variety of helpful resources, from Weekly Well-being Wednesdays on Facebook Live to health and wellness tips, pictures of our #LeeHealthStrong team and more. The staff at the Healthy Life Centers are starting to film and post free yoga and meditation classes, too.

Also, we continue to update the COVID-19 page on our website, www.LeeHealth.org/public-health, to help our community stay updated with the latest information.

 

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The Village of Estero has compiled above the most recent daily updates from the World Health Organization, Florida Department of Health, and Lee Health.  This compilation provides updates from the healthcare industry’s perspective.  The information provided below was developed by our partner agencies for public consumption.