Two residents of a Broward County assisted-living facility have died from COVID-19, and at least five more have tested positive for the coronavirus after it was spread by people who worked there, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday. DeSantis sounded exasperated that one facility serving seniors had so many infections.
As of Saturday afternoon, Florida had 658 cases of COVID-19, a 26 percent increase from a day earlier. The death toll, including one non-Florida resident, was 12. Saturday morning Putnam County announced its first case of Covid-19, with 41 of Florida’s 67 counties now recording cases, according to the Florida Department of Health. But the Department of Health is still not counting Covid-19 cases of non-county residents as being in that county, even if the case is being treated or quarantined in the county. Flagler has at least one confirmed case, involving a Volusia County resident, but the county still is not registering on DOH’s map. Counting Flagler, at least 42 counties have Covid-19 cases.
Bob Snyder, who heads the Flagler Department of Health, said that even though the state’s dashboard may not reflect out-of-county cases confirmed or being treated in Flagler, he will ensure that those numbers are released regardless.
Cases in the United States have surged past 21,000, with more than 8,300 cases in New York, and most of those concentrated in New York City.
Both Flagler’s and Florida’s cases are considered to be artificially low because testing has yet to ramp up in most parts of the state, including in Flagler, where, as of Saturday, still fewer than 20 tests had been recorded in the Department of Health’s tallies of tests from its own personnel and from hospital personnel, though the figures don’t include swabs that may have been conducted by individual physicians.
Saturday afternoon Flagler County government was asserting that even though it had closed its parks and restroom facilities, including beachside such as those at Varn Park and MalaCompra Park, it was keeping beaches open, as was Flagler Beach. More than a dozen cities and counties have closed beaches in Florida. Duval County beaches were ordered closed at 5 p.m. Friday.
“There is nothing wrong with being outdoors as long as you are practicing social distancing,” Flagler Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said. “Fireflight has been providing surveillance, and the Flagler Beach Police Department has been closely monitoring the busiest areas – the section within the city limits.”
Research out of Italy is indicating that many half- or gradual measures the country took were not effective in controlling the spread of the disease, as opposed to more immediate and radical measures. Italy recorded 793 deaths today alone, by far the largest number of deaths recorded in any country for a single day, so far. Italy has 53,000 cases and shows no indication of having the spread of the disease under control.
In Putnam, the infected person is a a 67 year-old man. Neither Putnam County government nor the Department of Health are releasing information about the man’s whereabouts–whether he is being treated in a hospital or at home, in self-isolation. The difference is significant, as self-isolation is considered riskier to the extent that those in self-quarantine have fewer containment measures in place, and do sometimes opt to leave their quarantine space.
The Florida Department of Health in Putnam County is conducting its contact investigation to figure out, to the extent possible, who the infected individual has had contact with in previous days, and working on identifying and notifying those individuals, who will need to self-monitor for symptoms for a 14-day period. Contact investigations are a critical way for staff epidemiologists to track and prevent the spread of disease. But they are not foolproof.Concern is mounting regarding the Broward County facility where two seniors have died.
“What the investigation has found out is that construction workers, staff and cooks who were ill were not screened and allowed to go work their jobs and mix with the residents unimpeded,” DeSantis said during a late Friday afternoon news conference at the state Emergency Operations Center. “That is exactly what you are not supposed to do.”
Another six residents who live at the Atria Willow Wood facility have been tested for the virus and the results are pending, DeSantis said, adding that he has requested the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to imbed an infection-control specialist at the facility.
The second resident of Atria Willow Wood to die from COVID-19 was a 92-year-old Broward County resident, the state said Friday. Florida had previously said a 77-year old resident died.
The announcement Friday makes real one of health officials’ biggest fears since the pandemic came to the state: community spread of the virus in long-term care facilities that house frail and elderly seniors. Florida has nearly 700 nursing homes and more than 3,000 assisted living facilities.
And the Broward facility isn’t alone in dealing with the issue.
Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew acknowledged Wednesday that 19 long-term care facilities across the state had confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases. The state won’t say where those facilities are located.
A Seattle-area nursing home where the virus ran rampant is reportedly responsible for more than 30 deaths in Washington state.
“If you are an operator of one of these facilities, you need to take responsibility to protect your residents,” DeSantis said. “This is a virus that is in certain communities spreading in Florida, and Broward is one of them and you need to take action to protect your people.”
The state initially asked long-term care facilities to screen visitors before allowing them into buildings. Then it banned visitors at long-term care facilities in Broward County. But as the virus continued to spread, the ban was extended statewide.
Meanwhile, AHCA on Wednesday sent an advisory to long-term care facilities advising them that anyone who enters the buildings must wear masks. Moreover, the edict requires gloves to be worn when care is provided to residents. The directive also stresses that people should “continue to perform hand hygiene prior to donning gloves, after removing gloves, and anytime there is contact with the resident environment.”
But on Friday AHCA said it would not fine nursing homes that can’t come into compliance with the requirements.
Also Friday, DeSantis issued an emergency order suspending non-essential elective medical procedures at all hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and doctors’ offices to help conserve personal protection equipment — such as gloves and masks used in surgery — for efforts to contain and treat the virus.
The executive order describes medically unnecessary services as non-urgent or non-emergency procedures or surgeries, which, if delayed, do not risk patients’ health or, if delayed, will not contribute to the worsening of life-threatening medical conditions.
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had already recommended providers limit all non-essential elective medical and surgical procedures, and Florida hospitals had moved to do the same.
The Florida Hospital Association Board of Trustees on Thursday voted to postpone elective surgeries and procedures and recommended that facilities and providers refer to American College of Surgeons’ triage guidelines.
–FlaglerLive and the News Service of Florida
Jedidiah Wilson says
Desantis has been conspicuously absent. Maybe for the best.
mark101 says
He is on TV every darn day, thats not absent.
Jedidiah says
What station?
danm50 says
You can’t manage people, only things. The government should stop trying to manage and lead. Proper planning would have prevented shortages and panic. Shame on the elected officials for not having a clue or a plan.
Steve says
Slow to take the extreme steps that were needed. I fell its too late now. Big spike I guess. Scary
Ben Dover says
WTF did they expect , 600.000 bikers all drinking , partying and screwing for 10 days, then the Spring Breakers doing the same , Golf tournaments jammed packed with morons , Michael Cohen said Trump gives orders in Code , He said in a news conference 3 weeks ago he was looking out for his friends in the Hotel Industry, and the slimy little maggot we have for Gov took them orders to heart and let every single simple minded A-hole in our state to infect us and the rest of the country , DeSantis should be in Prison as I type this for MURDER!!
Jeff Douglas says
Not a time to let hate and politics cloud the facts and reality. It’s a cataclysmic event. No President, Governor or Mayor has ever faced this scale or taken such intense and directed action. Please understand that unless you are a government or a big corporate pensioner, you do not have the time or steady income to drop everything and everyone to hoard toilet paper & crates of hand sanitizer for just 2 people. Everyone has already or will be exposed to what officials are calling one of history’s most contagious flu’s. Thankfully, it is very mild for the general populous. Like or hate them, our leadership is doing this for 1-3% of those infected who might perish. They have likely committed political suicide and intentionally cratered the worlds largest and most giving economy for vulnerable. Let’s work together in this and support leadership actions to marry private sector re-tooling and expansion of our local hospital services to accommodate you or your loved one if & when you need it.
There’s a lot of quiet, good & selfless people standing by to help you when you eventually become infected. Please be kind.
Ben Dover says
I`ll be kind to people who deserve kindness , not people that put Greed ahead of every ones safety , it`s bad enough these greed mongers ignore all the deaths these motorcyclist experience twice a year , 6 people died this Bike Week and it was a low number this year , 13 died a few yrs back , these families are destroyed,they legalize drinking and driving or 10 days , every event associated with Bike week takes place either in a bar or outside it , them deaths are disgusting enough all in the name of these hoteliers greed, but this , this put the entire country in danger and it could of been avoided , but DeSantis was taking orders from the MUTT at the TOP, there ids no kindness for people who chose money over human lives .
Gary R says
@Ben Dover – Would you rather had Andrew Gillum? You know man busted with Andrew Gillum in hotel room with meth was gay escort.
Fuggetaboutit says
Ben Dover,
I’m sure every intelligent person reading your well articulated comments would agree…. Can you share any more “Trump code”? And yes, you’re right, Florida would definitely be better served by Desantis’s virtuous opponent.
Comment says
It’s not the beach that is spreading the virus at lightning speed,
It’s the people who believe it’s not around them that second.
It is!
Consider yourself a carrier.
Consider everyone you see/meet as a carrier.
Practice all precautions as described.
Go about your lives as close to normal as possible, but try to avoid close/casual contact with EVERYONE.
Running into a major store for what little is available right now, and then waiting on a line (either to get in, or out) sounds ridiculous to me.
Avoid the crowds as much as possible
Going out shopping everyday to find toilet paper or alcohol wipes to stock up on is playing unwinnable odds.
You might score a few boxes of wipes, but what is the risk?
You most likely already have everything you need to disinfect everything around you.
Bleach
Hydrogen Peroxide
Alcohol
Water
Soap
Rags/Paper Towels
A few spray bottles, water, a gallon of bleach, dish soap, rags/paper towels will do just as well if not better than anything you are going to find on the shelves today
And 1 gallon of bleach (properly diluted) should last you (easily) thru July!
There is no run on food,
so skip the aisles searching for the impossible,
get what you need to live,
get out of there and get back home.
Here is a great list, notice how often, and how (amazingly) fast, plain old bleach & water works.
Products that meet EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19.
https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2
This is real
It’s about to get 10X worse
Keeping your distance is the only solution as of now.
I feel for all those who are about to/have been laid off.
I hear the electricity will stay on no matter what
I don’t think ATMs are going to need protecting by armed guards
For now, all you need is food, some cash, common sense, and some bleach.
In 4-6 weeks, we’ll all breathe a sigh of relief, then get our finances back on track. (with whatever help we’ll get)
And have learned a lesson,
that generators, chain saws, water & gasoline are not the only emergency supplies we need to have around.
attila says
Desantis for whom I voted for has been a big disappointment. He doesn’t want to or doesn’t know how to manage and direct the state and his subordinates.
Sherry says
For those who brush this crisis off and think it only affects “those on the way out anyway ‘. . . take a good look at this video of a hospitalized young girl in the UK:
https://www.indy100.com/article/coronavirus-covid-19-patient-hospital-intensive-care-9414326
Sherry says
Meanwhile. . . the “invincible” generation flauts all rules and endangers us all. . . take a good read:
https://apnews.com/36bb744ed120b703b4bf13695572cb84
Gary R says
Don’t worry be happy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PlgN0ta6E8
21yrOldNursingStudent says
The number of Diagnosed cases will spike, since testing hasn’t been widely available. There are still countless people who have the covid-19 virus who show no symptoms. Everyone needs to stay out of public places and lessen the spread. Think about it…this is a new virus that the world is still figuring out how to treat (and prevent with the development of a vax), so while these numbers of Diagnosed cases will spike it’s important to realize that each of us can help prevent the spread by staying home (whenever possible). The workers who have to work like EMS, truckers, etc need OUR help by us staying home. Especially the younger people who think they’re immune from it. They’re not immune; their immune systems are just better equipped to fight it and many aren’t showing any symptoms but that doesn’t mean they aren’t shedding the virus and exposing others to it. Please urge people to stay home. The hospitals are going to be overwhelmed. A huge Thank You to those who have to go to work, and those who risk their lives in doing so. Let’s do our part and stay home!
PB says
Well said 21 year old!