Today’s Stats
As of today, Lee Health has:
- 203 COVID-19 patients isolated in our hospitals
- Submitted 44,086 specimens for testing
- Discharged 1,966 patients since the start of the pandemic
- 142 employees quarantined; 16 exposed at work and positive for COVID-19
- Currently 39% of our ventilators and 81% of our ICU rooms are available for use
- Current census is at 85% of staffed operational bed capacity, with 17.6% of those being COVID-19 patients.
- Yesterday, we had a 26% positivity rate on COVID-19 tests processed through Lee Health Labs. This represents Lee Health only, and not Lee County as a whole.
- 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
This has been an incredibly promising week as Southwest Florida continues to fight against the coronavirus. We saw the number of COVID-19 patients in our hospitals decrease every single day, and hospitalizations are at the lowest point since June.
There has been a slight misconception that we are not currently performing elective surgeries due to the surge in COVID-19 patients we saw three weeks ago. Under our surge plan, we have been restricting some elective surgeries that require overnight stays, but we are still performing hundreds of elective surgeries a week. In mid-June we were averaging about 260 surgeries per day, and over the last three weeks this has been reduced to about 220 to 225 surgeries per day.
Our surgeons work with every patient to ensure their safety, and all patients are screened for symptoms of COVID-19 before their operation. Elective surgeries are vital in improving the quality of life for many patients, and we appreciate the patience and understanding from those who have had their surgeries delayed.
Our high bed census from three weeks ago necessitated the reduction of surgeries to ensure we had the capacity to care for all patients. This week we opened 62 additional beds, and our census is getting closer to normal for this time of year. This will allow us to ramp up elective surgeries to full capacity and surgeons are eager and ready to safely improve the quality of their patients’ lives.
Page Field Mobile Collection Site Closed Until Aug. 4
Due to anticipated inclement weather this weekend, the outdoor Page Field specimen collection site will be closed until Tuesday, Aug. 4. The indoor Cape Coral collection site will remain open, and we are transferring all our Page Field appointments for the weekend to Cape Coral.
Be Prepared this Hurricane Season
Hurricane season is in full swing as Hurricane Isaias tracks near Florida’s east coast. The COVID-19 outbreak brings unique challenges this hurricane season, and we have updated our hurricane response plan to reflect the added challenges of COVID-19.
Click here to read preparedness tips and recommendations from Lee Mayfield, director of public safety and emergency management for Lee County, to keep you and your family safe during hurricane season.
It’s important to remember that Lee Health hospitals and facilities are not hurricane shelters. For more information on shelters and how to preregister, visit www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement
Lee Health and Lee County Team Up for ‘Together, We Can’
Lee Health and Lee County officials have joined forces to launch the “Together, We Can” campaign to encourage the community to continue practicing CDC guidelines. The campaign also reminds everyone that, together, we can minimize the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. Be on the lookout for promotional videos, digital billboards, social media ads, and TV and radio spots that will run for the remainder of the summer.
Reserve Your Spot for Our Next Virtual Town Hall Meeting
Join us for the “Facts, Not Fear” virtual town hall meeting at 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 5 with Larry Antonucci, M.D., MBA, Lee Health president & CEO, and K. Alex Daneshmand, D.O., MBA, chief quality and patient safety officer. Lindsey Morton, senior creative services project manager, will moderate the discussion as Dr. Antonucci and Dr. Daneshmand answer audience questions and discuss COVID-19 within our community. The town hall will be live-streamed on Lee Health’s Facebook page and LeeHealth.org. Click here for more information posted on our Facebook event page.