(Updated 9/16/2020 at 2:00 pm)

~Hospitalizations, Positive Test Results, Long-Term Care Facilities and Fatalities Continue to Show Significant Movement in the Right Direction~ 

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Department of Health (DOH), in order to provide more comprehensive data, releases a report each day on COVID-19.

Hospitalizations:

Today, data reported to the Agency for Health Care Administration shows that the number of COVID-19 positive patients that are currently hospitalized is down more than 70 percent since July. As posted on the Agency for Health Care Administration’s hospitalization dashboard at 11:30 a.m., there are 2,480 current hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19.

Positive test results:

  • Yesterday’s statewide positivity rate for new cases is 4.47 percent.
  • Yesterday was the thirty-fifth straight day below 10 percent positivity of new cases.

 

Overall testing:

  • Yesterday, test results for more than 57,100 individuals were reported to DOH.
  • As of September 16, 671,201 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida.

 

Fatalities by date of passing:

Today, data reported to DOH shows there has been a steady decline in the number of reported Florida resident deaths who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19. The first week of August compared to the first week of September, shows a 74 percent decrease in the average number of reported COVID-19 related deaths. 

 

Florida long-term care facility data:

  • The list of long-term care facilities with active COVID-19 cases is available here.
  • The list of long-term care facilities with deaths is available here, which is updated weekly.
  • To date, 5,320 individuals that were staff or residents of a long-term care facility have died.

In order to make the daily COVID-19 report easier to download and more accessible, the daily report separates case line data in a separate PDF. The case line data report is available here. The state also provides a report detailing surveillance data for every Florida county, which is available here. The antibody COVID-19 test results report will be provided once a week and contains county, race and lab information on antibody COVID-19 tests conducted in Florida. The report for antibody tests conducted by private health care providers is available here and the report for antibody tests conducted at state-supported COVID-19 testing sites is available here.

 

DOH-Lee to offer free Flu and hepatitis a vaccines at pop-up COVID-19 testing sites

Fort Myers, Fla., Sep. 16, 2020 — The Florida Department of Health in Lee County (DOH-Lee) is strongly encouraging all unvaccinated residents to get their flu shot as soon as possible. Flu vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu and its potentially serious complications.

On September 17, DOH-Lee will begin offering both free influenza (flu) and Hepatitis A at all pop-up walk-up COVID-19 test sites.

The flu vaccine is available to anyone age 6 months and older. Anyone not feeling well will not receive the flu vaccine. The Hepatitis A vaccine is available to anyone age 18 and older.

Influenza Vaccine

The best time to receive a flu vaccine is before flu viruses begin spreading in the community. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu so plan to get vaccinated early in fall, before flu season begins. CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October.

According to CDC, getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, however flu vaccination has many other important benefits. Last year’s vaccine may not protect against the current year’s strain. Even if the vaccine does not fully protect against the flu, the vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization and death. Getting a flu vaccine this fall will be more important than ever, not only to reduce your risk from flu but also to help conserve potentially scarce health care resources.

Hepatitis A Vaccine

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter—even in microscopic amounts—from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by feces (stool) of an infected person.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent hepatitis A.

About the Florida Department of Health

The Department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.