A staffer at Grand Oaks Health and Rehabilitation, the nursing home in Palm Coast, has tested positive for Covid-19, the Florida Department of Health reports, and a resident at Tuscan Gardens off Colbert Lane has also tested positive, Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder said today.
Today’s revelations coincide with yet another day of record-breaking totals for new cases in Florida: 3,822 reported today, as of June 18. It is the fourth time a daily total has broken records in the last nine days. Cases have totaled 20,673 in that nine-day span, or almost a quarter of the entire total number of cases–89,748–since the department of health began tabulating cases in March.
South Carolina also reported a record number of new cases today, with new cases at or near records in California, Texas, Arizona Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia and Oregon, and cases rising in 20 states overall, pushing the nation’s rolling seven-day average again on an upswing, after it had been falling since late April. The rise is taking place mostly in states that pushed for sharp reopenings. Deaths are still on the downswing nationally, but the current spike is almost certain to reverse that trend within two weeks once Covid’s lethal lag takes its toll.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has inaccurately attributed the spike to an increase in testing. Increased testing plays a role, but does not account for the size of the spike and the sharp increase in the positivity rate–the percentage of people who test positive out of all of those tested, which has been in double digits for the last three days, up from 3 to 5 percent 14 days ago. Rather, the spike tracks with warnings that public health experts and epidemiologists across the country have been issuing since late April: that with more openings, the incidence of positive cases will rise again.
The vertiginous spike of the last nine days dwarfs Florida’s April peak and has local officials concerned, especially about a sense that residents are interpreting reopening as relaxation from social-distancing and other measures to prevent a resurgence. But there are no indications from the state of any change of pace in the broad and rapid reopening of the economy and society, nor is the state issuing more rigorous mandates within a reopened economy, as some local governments have. Orlando and Osceola counties and Gainesville are now making mask-wearing in public mandatory.
“The cities getting ready to launch something more definitive about that,” Bob Snyder Flagler County’s public health director, said in an interview today. “I don’t think it’s in the form of a mandate, but it’s probably as close as they can come.”
“At the end of the day, freedom doesn’t mean anything if you’re dead.”
The county and the health department are focusing on a series of preventive initiatives launching now: the county is disseminating a series of public service messages emphasizing the importance of social distancing, mask-wearing and handwashing. The county’s tourism department is launching a “Pledge to Prevent” campaign that encourages employees at local hospitality businesses, including restaurants, and tourism retailers to wear masks (“many of whom are not,” Snyder said) and follow safety guidelines in exchange for a certificate of approval, and the health department will continue to distribute free masks. It distributed 55,000 masks in seven days, and has ordered 100,000 more. “We are making a big deal about this,” Snyder said. “We’re going to keep preaching, pleading and pushing.”
The case at Tuscan Gardens breaks what had been a streak of negative tests at Flagler County’s 72 assisted living facilities, nursing and group homes, where the Health Department’s so-called “strike teams” conducted some 1,500 tests starting last month. The department and the facilities, some of them contracting with their own testing labs, are now under a state mandate to test all long-term care staffers–but not necessarily residents–every two weeks, a move supported by the Florida Health Care Association, which represents health care providers.
The incidence of Covid-19 in long-term care facilities draws critical attention because more than half the 3,104 Covid-related deaths recorded in Florida so far (1,637) have affected either staffers or residents of long-term care facilities.
Previously, two staffers at two other long-term care facilities–Princeton Village and Brookdale Palm Coast–had tested positive, but have since recovered. Those two cases have been removed from the state’s report of current positive cases among residents and staffers in long-term care facilities. In a further indication of reduced transparency, the state’s reports on long-term care incidences of the coronavirus now lists the facilities that have had deaths, but not cumulative cases among staffers or residents that have not resulted in death.
At Tuscan Gardens, Snyder said the infected person is in quarantine in a private room, screened and monitored carefully, kept away from other residents, and cared for by the same staff members throughout the day in shifts, so the exposure is contained. The caregivers wear head-to-toe personal protective equipment. The segregation unit is separate from the rest at the facility. No visitors are allowed.
After the positive case was detected, “we did a case investigation through our public health nursing teams and investigators and we went ahead and interviewed the residents,” Snyder said, “and the residents identified several prolonged close contacts over the last 14 days. We are now interviewing those individuals further and guiding them on what symptoms to look for.” Some were “definitely in that category of prolonged close contact, so those individuals have been tested already,” with results to be known in three or four days.
Flagler County has recorded a cumulative total of 216 Covid cases so far, including five in the last two days, and five deaths overall. The county has done better relative to other Florida counties, but it falls in the middle of the pack according to a New York Times continuous analysis of the state’s numbers.
In an appearance on WNZF’s Free For All Friday this morning, County Administrator Jerry Cameron recognized the county’s success in containing the disease, giving residents much of the credit. But in stark language, he went on at much longer length to warn of the diminishing vigilance he is concerned about and its potentially serious consequences.
“The great news is, and I believe it’s strictly the responsible behavior of the citizens of Flagler County, that we were able to reopen a lot of things very quickly without having the consequences of a spike,” Cameron said. “That was truly because people really did adhere to the handwashing, the social distancing, and the mask wearing. I am concerned that when we did reopening as a state, as a nation, that we did not emphasize enough that that is not a signal that this is over. In fact, this may be just beginning. And we need to make sure that we protect people’s health. But we need to protect the economy, and if the consequences of reopening get severe enough, the economy will shut down again, and nobody wants to see that.
“Every single person out there has a responsibility, not only for his own health, but a responsibility to others for their health, to others to keep be able to keep their jobs, to be able to pay their bills. And if we don’t continue to act responsibility, we will lose that freedom that we have, because at the end of the day, freedom doesn’t mean anything if you’re dead. That’s the first goal of government, is to protect people. I am concerned that even though our numbers are really good, and we haven’t seen a spike, I am concerned with what I see in the community, that people are relaxing their guard.”
Cameron specified: “There’s no longer the emphasis on social distancing that we had at one point, people are not wearing masks in indoor environments, and people are crowding. And that is the number one way that this is transmitted, is when you get people in crowds, particularly indoors. There is an inevitable transmission of the disease. No way around it, it just happens. I’ve been compelled to look at history in other pandemics, and this tracks very closely to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. And if you look at that, it came in waves, and it had a spring wave, it had a fall wave, and it had a winter wave. The fall wave was the most deadly. We can prevent that from happening by following the rules: social distancing, wearing a mask, washing your hands, and avoiding crowds, either indoors or outdoors. If you go into a business and you feel like it’s crowded, it is, leave. There’s no point in subjecting yourself and a host of other people to a resurgence of this disease.”
Steve says
In my past experince a Crisis like this would bring us together unite for a common cause and solution to a problem. Instead I see and feel division due to selfish irresponsible Adults who blow the Science of this pandemic off and spout individual liberty rights freedom at the masses risk to make themselves feel empowered over some imaginary latest conspiracy theory or debunked idea to just buck the trend for the sake of being tagged as a counter party against the enemy, themselves. Closed minds and lack of self determination jump on the bus to just belong.
This particular waning movement amongst the minority will soon be shown that E PLURIBUS UNUM is alive and well. For me to say keep up with the times or be left by the way side is surprising to myself. A self professed dinosaur . The attitude that its my way or its wrong and one is human scum for thinking it shows the powers that be dont have their finger on the pulse. The winds of change are a blowin. Good luck we are all going to need some.
Jourdain says
The “Winds of Change” STINK ! Smells of socialism and population control. Each to their own. You don’t want to wear a mask, fine don’t. If you do , fine wear it. But don’t you dare confront me about my choice. I’m sick and tired of this BS political crap from the liberal left.
The Truth says
Your “choice” directly affects the rest of us. It’s selfish, inconsiderate but yet not surprising as I’m currently watching this clown that leads our country.
Steve says
Dare to tempt fate may bring your own destiny. Turning wearing a mask into a Political issue is a bit extreme . A small token to protect yourself and others . Keep drinkibg the Koolaid.
Name (required) says
The “political crap” is a manifestation of your own. There’s no politics involved in what we’re dealing with. ZERO. The “liberal left” have nothing to do with the government telling you to be aware and do all possible to mitigate an ACTUAL, REAL, PROBLEM. Put your dumb politics aside and realize what the actual legitimate buzz is about.
Sad Times says
Well…you are evidently saying…to hell with everyone else…because the masks are to prevent you from contaminating those around you…if you happen to be caring the virus.
Of course, it can also protect you from the virus floating around you.
Layla says
Why all the fear mongering all of a sudden? We are not in crisis here. We had over 3 million flu cases in America in 2019 and we didn’t shut anything down. This virus has a 99% cure rate. Why doesn’t the Health Dept. tell people that? Like everything else, we are going to have to learn to live with this virus.
FlaglerLive says
The commenter is grossly misinformed, repeating common but irresponsible falsehoods about the virus that no health department would condone. The flu does not have the lethality rate of the coronavirus. The coronavirus does not have a cure rate of 99 percent. By sheer numbers, with 122,000 dead and counting, out of 2.3 million cases, the lethality rate alone is well over 5 percent, based on today’s figures. That does not take into account the immense damage the virus is doing to those who develop complications from it but survive. Please don’t use this forum to spread viral fallacies.
Facts says
It’s almost comical that anyone is willing to make any comments about statistics concerning this virus, until everyone in this country gets tested for the virus and for the antibodies your numbers can’t be accurate.
erobot says
First get an accurate test. Then we’ll talk.
Sad Times says
Thank you for clarifying the data.
It is disgusting….our citizens have a hard time with math, don’t they?
Cathy says
I agree, this forum should not be used to spread viral fallacies. So why let these people post such comments in the first place?
FlaglerLive says
Most of the time we try to keep the misinformation out. On occasion we use a comment like Layla’s, who often reflects widely peddled falsehoods, as a chance to set the record straight.
Jim says
The CDC recommends the wearing of masks not to prevent you from getting the virus but to prevent you from giving another the virus. As a result, the wearing of masks is an issue of respect for your fellow man, not an issue of individual rights.
You have no constitutional right to infect someone!
Sherry says
Thank you Flaglerlive for pointing it out when such “DANGEROUS” massive misinformation is being spread by those commenting here.
If only social media would step up better and do the same.
We are all living through a critical time in our lives. Over 120,000 people have been killed by this virus in the US alone. Spreading false information is disgraceful. . . especially in a time when we all should be united in doing all we can to protect on another. Each of us needs the caring support of every member of our community. We will eventually get through this, but it would cost much less pain and suffering if we could just bond together in loving care. The enemy is the virus, not each other!
Please, for the sake of your neighbors,. . . wear your mask and maintain a social distance when in crowded public places!