Daily Stats (Updated 4/21/2020 at 5:00 pm)
As of today, Lee Health has:
- 75 COVID-19 patients isolated in our hospitals
- Submitted 8,197 specimens for testing
- Discharged 147 patients
- 165 employees quarantined; 30 employees exposed at work and positive with COVID-19
- Click here for graphs showing a running total of specimens collected for testing and positive cases hospitalized.
Today’s News
A Message from Dr. Larry Antonucci
“We promise to listen and communicate effectively, embrace empathy, act with compassion and continually improve care – creating a safe, comforting and healing environment for our patients, their families and each other.” This statement, known as our ExceptionalLee Promise, unites our team members across Lee Health under one guiding, unifying and inspiring commitment to showing up as our best selves every day and night. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen tremendous strength, bravery and resilience from our teams on the frontlines. We have seen our team members do their best to live the ExceptionalLee Promise, even when fears, sadness and stress could have hindered their resolve. I am humbled and inspired by our Lee Health team.
A Cheerful Delivery from the Infection Prevention Staff
Wanting to do something to lift the spirits of patients, the infection prevention team at Lee Memorial Hospital created handmade, colorful, cheerful, infection prevention-approved floral arrangements. Click here to see their handiwork.
Donated iPads Help Families Connect
Thanks to support from our community to the SWFL Stronger Together campaign, Lee Health now has 30 iPads to help our patients communicate with their loved ones while they are hospitalized and unable to visit in person. Click here to see pictures of our patient, Etna Wheeler, as she enjoys a visit, laughs and conversation with her husband, Thomas, and daughter, Debra.
Join The Lift Project
We are offering free, virtual sessions of The Lift Project, a program designed to lift your mood, increase happiness and reduce stress. Participation in this series requires a commitment to watch a weekly 20-minute video and attendance in virtual group meetings to discuss how to implement these strategies into daily life. Click here for more information and videos on this initiative. To sign up, please contact Cheryl Neal at cheryl@theliftprojectusa.com by tomorrow, April 22.
A Special Gift for our Health Care Heroes
Local stores and businesses packed special comfort bags that included a variety of items, from cooling eye masks to bath bombs, that will help bring some much-needed relaxation to our hardworking health care staff. Thank you Naples Soap Company, Studio RK, Reef Dental, Promotional Incentives, Sam’s Food Market, MacIntosh Books + Paper, Mel’s Diner, Frantz Eye Care and the Healthy Life Centers for the items and treats. A special thanks also to Spring Rosen, Lee Health Foundation director of donor relations, for donating fuzzy socks for our health care teams.
Thank you, First Responders
Last night, police, fire and EMS crews from across Southwest Florida gathered outside Gulf Coast Medical Center and Cape Coral Hospital to salute our health care heroes. To see pictures of the special acknowledgment of the staff at Gulf Coast Medical Center, click here. For pictures of the Cape Coral Police Department and Cape Coral Fire Department’s parade of lights for our health care staff at Cape Coral Hospital, click here.
~27,543 positive cases in Florida residents and 766 positive cases in non-Florida residents~
TALLAHASSEE —To keep Florida residents and visitors safe, informed and aware about the status of the virus, the Florida Department of Health has launched a COVID-19 dashboard that is updated twice daily. Today, as of 11 a.m., there are 28,309 total** Florida cases.
There are currently 324 long-term care facilities with positive cases of COVID-19. The Florida Department of Health has published the list here. The twice daily COVID-19 report also includes information by county about deaths related to staff or residents in long-term care facilities. Of the 2,209 cases of residents or staff in long-term care facilities, 234 have died.
While Florida’s testing has increased over the past week, the percent of those testing positive for COVID-19 overall is 10 percent. Of the 14,168 tests performed on April 21, there were 1,401 positive results, or 10 percent.
Twenty-six people have died who tested positive for COVID-19 Broward, Dade, Indian River, Orange, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.
New Florida cases include:
- 440 additional positive COVID-19 cases (416 Florida residents and 24 non-Florida residents) reported to the Florida Department of Health.
- There are currently 27,543 positive cases in Florida residents and 766 positive cases in non-Florida residents.
Florida recently partnered with private laboratories around the state to expand COVID-19 laboratory testing capacity. This partnership will increase the number of tests conducted each day and ensure Floridians receive the critical health information they need in a timely manner.
Expansion to private laboratories changes the COVID-19 testing landscape in Florida. Private laboratories are running tests as they receive swab samples from practitioners. Testing and reporting times vary among commercial and DOH laboratories. Demographic information may be updated during investigations. These twice daily reports reflect the state’s efforts to accurately and transparently share information.
World Health Organization Update
SITUATION IN NUMBERS total (new) cases in last 24 hours
(last updated 10:00 AM CET 4/21/2020)
- No new country/territory/area reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
- WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in his media briefing yesterday, thanked health ministers from the G20 countries for their support, as well as the support received from the G77 (that comprises 135 countries) and The Non-Aligned Movement (that comprises over 130 countries). He reiterated that WHO is committed to supporting all countries to save lives.
- WHO and Global Citizen’s “One World, Together at Home” concert in collaboration with Lady Gaga has been a great success and show of global friendship and solidarity. It has also raised US$55 million for WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund, which will be used to support countries to prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic.
- As of 21 April, over 100 countries have joined the Solidarity Trial to evaluate therapeutics for COVID-19. The trial will compare four treatment options against local standard of care, to assess their relative effectiveness against COVID-19.
- WHO has published ‘International Guidelines for Certification and Classification (Coding) of COVID-19 as Cause of Death’, available here.
- During a virtual meeting convened by WHO, national regulatory authorities and national ethics committees across Africa agreed to combine their expertise to expedite clinical trial reviews and approvals.
- WHO continues to secure vital supply chains, set-up logistical hubs, and deliver critical supplies. For more see the ‘Subject in Focus’ below.