Nursing Homes

State health officials reported 4,599 new COVID-19 cases and 55 deaths, Wednesday for a total of more than 1.9 million infections and 33,120 deaths since the start of the pandemic. So far more than 4.4 million people in Florida have received a vaccine dose, including nearly 2.5 million people who have completed the vaccine series.Governor Ron DeSantis wants to use some of the money coming to Florida through the federal COVID-19 relief bill to provide $1,000 bonuses to firefighters, law enforcement officers and other first responders. He also wants $260 million to go to supporting Florida’s struggling seaports and $50 million to be allocated to the state’s tourism marketing arm Visit Florida to help revitalize the tourism industry.The Florida Senate is set to vote today on a bill protecting businesses and healthcare providers from pandemic-related litigation. A bill cracking down on COVID-19 vaccine-related fraud passed its first Senate committee this week.New CDC guidelines recommend that nursing home residents be allowed to see visitors in person.Two pediatricians in Boca Raton have published a study after a vaccinated woman with no history of COVID-19 gave birth to a baby with COVID-19 antibodies.A new report from a national COVID-19 commission reports a dramatic rise in domestic violence amid the pandemic.

About 90% of assisted living facilities in Florida have self-reported having a chance to have their staff and residents vaccinated, leaving 10% still waiting for the opportunity.

State health officials reported 2,883 new cases of COVID-19, Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 741,632 cases. The Florida Department of Health also reported 64 new coronavirus-related deaths, Oct. 14, increasing the statewide death toll to 15,788 fatalities.Of the 5,622,438 COVID-19 tests that have been reported in Florida so far, the overall positivity rate remains at 13.19% and the latest single-day positivity rate increased to 5.39%.

The AARP online site, which looks at nursing-home data for four weeks ending Sept. 20, shows that 1.38 of every 200 nursing home residents in Florida died from COVID-19. Nationally, about one out of every 200 nursing home residents died from COVID-19.

State health officials reported 3,571 new cases of COVID-19, Thursday increasing Florida's total to 637,013 cases.The Florida Department of Health also reported 149 new coronavirus-related deaths, yesterday, bringing the statewide death toll to 11,800 fatalities. The seven-day average for numbers of deaths reported in a day is 112. That number has not dropped below 100 reported deaths a day since July 16.

State health officials reported 7,569 new cases of COVID-19, Tuesday and 187 new coronavirus-related deaths.The Florida Department of Health released a statement, Sept. 1, explaining that Tuesday's reported single-day increase in cases of the virus is inflated due to delayed reporting of test results from Quest Diagnostics. The Health Department's statement notes that the test reporting dump from Quest includes nearly 75,000 tests, some dating as far back as April.The incident has prompted the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Division of Emergency Management to sever ties with the laboratory company.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he will allow visitors into nursing homes and assisted living facilities, nearly six months after the state blocked visitation during the first wave of coronavirus infections.

State health officials reported 3,220 new cases of COVID-19, Wednesday, increasing Florida's total to 608,722 cases. The Florida Department of Health also reported 153 new coronavirus related deaths, Aug. 26, bringing the statewide death toll to 10,872 fatalities.Wednesday marked the fourth consecutive day health officials reported fewer than 4,000 new cases of the virus in a day. The last time reported new cases were that low was June 16-19.

A new report says COVID-19 cases in U.S. nursing homes jumped nearly 80% earlier this summer, driven by rampant spread across the South and much of the...

State health officials reported 186 new coronavirus-related deaths, Tuesday, setting a new record high for the number of deaths reported in a single day.Yesterday's deaths bring Florida's statewide death toll from the virus to 6,117 fatalities.2,760 deaths, or 45% of Florida's total COVID fatalities have been among staff and residents of long-term care facilities. Even so, Gov. Ron DeSantis says he's considering a possible relaxation of the state's ban on visitation to long-term care facilities like nursing homes and assisted living facilities.