Five Staff Members, Four Inmates COVID-19 Positive At Blackwater Prison
April 7, 2020
Five staff members and four inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at a Milton prison.
The Florida Department of Corrections said Monday that five employees or contract staff members at Blackwater Correctional Facility have tested positive as they confirmed the four positive inmates. Blackwater is privately operated by the Geo Group, Inc. under a contract with the state.
A week ago, the coronavirus count at Blackwater was three workers and no inmates.
A staffer at the Century Correctional Institution has also tested positive for coronavirus. No CCI inmates were positive as of Monday’s report.
Poarch Creeks Donate $1 Million To Atmore Hospital For Equipment, COVID-19 Testing
April 7, 2020
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians Monday announced a $1 million donation to the Atmore Community Hospital which serves the city of Atmore and western Escambia County, Alabama, where the Poarch Creek Tribe’s trust lands are located.
The donation, which was earlier approved by Poarch’s Tribal Council, provides funding that the hospital urgently needs to replace vital equipment such as a CT scanner, ultrasound imaging, and new hospital beds.
Additionally, funding from the Tribe will help the hospital meet added expenses and staffing needs associated with collecting samples for testing and caring for patients potentially affected by the Covid-19 virus.
In announcing the donation, Poarch’s Tribal Chair and CEO Stephanie Bryan said, “We know how critically important Atmore Community Hospital is to our Tribe and all of our neighbors who live in and around Atmore. We understand the financial challenges that rural hospitals like it face every day, and we support its mission and its leadership. That is especially true now that our country is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. We are committed to doing everything we can to make sure this great hospital that serves our community has what it needs.”
Chris Griffin, CEO of The Escambia County Healthcare Authority noted, “This extremely generous donation from the Tribe could not have come at a more opportune time. We are committed to caring for our community, especially now during the Covid-19 crisis. These funds will help us pay for the expensive equipment and capital improvements that we have sorely needed, and the Tribe has also made it possible for us to cover the unexpected costs associated with the virus. We are so grateful that Poarch has supported us at critically important times through the years, and this is certainly one of them.”
Atmore Community Hospital is governed by the Escambia County Healthcare Authority Board of Directors. It is a not-for-profit acute care hospital and generates the majority of its funding from the services it provides.
First COVID-19 Case In McDavid; Assisted Living Cases Grow; 21 New Cases Monday In Escambia, Santa Rosa
April 6, 2020
THIS REPORT IS NOW OUTDATED. CLICK HERE FOR AN UPDATE.
COVID-19 cases increased by 15 in Escambia County and six in Santa Rosa County, according to the latest report from the Florida Department of Health. The increase in Escambia County included the first case reported in the McDavid zip code (which also includes Walnut Hill).
There are now three cases in residents or staff of long-term care facilities in Escambia County. The FDOH is not providing any additional details.
The first COVID-19 death in Escambia County was reported Saturday morning — a 75-year old female. There have been two fatalities in Santa Rosa County.
As of Monday, the number of cases in Escambia County was 141 and there were 64 cases in Santa Rosa County.
Statewide, there were 13,324 cases including 12,925 Florida residents. There were 1,592 in the hospital and 236 deaths.
Escambia County cases:
- Total cases — 141 (+15 since Sunday)
- Pensacola — 100
- Cantonment — 21
- Bellview — 5
- Perdido Key — 1
- McDavid/Walnut Hill — 1
- Molino – 1
- Century — 1
- Residents: 118
- Nonresidents — 7
- Hospitalizations: 9
- Deaths — 1
- Men — 69
- Women — 70
- Youngest: 2
- Oldest: 95
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 64 (+6 since Sunday)
- Milton — 24
- Navarre — 16
- Gulf Breeze — 12
- Pace — 7
- Jay — 1
- Residents: 48
- Nonresidents — 0
- Hospitalizations — 8
- Deaths — 2
- Men — 40
- Women — 24
- Youngest — 2 months
- Oldest — 84
Florida cases:
- Total cases — 13,629
- Florida residents — 13,214
- Non-Florida residents — 415
- Deaths — 254
- Hospitalized — 1,720
Escambia, Santa Rosa COVID-19 Cases Increase By 14 Since Sunday
April 6, 2020
THIS STORY IS OUTDATED, CLICK HERE FOR AN UPDATE.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties increased by 14 from Sunday in the latest report from the Florida Department of Health.
The first COVID-19 death in Escambia County was reported Saturday morning — a 75-year old female. There have been two fatalities in Santa Rosa County.
As of Sunday, the number of cases in Escambia County was 129, and increase of four. There were 58 cases in Santa Rosa County, an increased of three.
Statewide, there were 13,324 cases including 12,925 Florida residents. There were 1,592 in the hospital and 236 deaths.
Escambia County cases:
- Total cases — 136 (+11 since Sunday)
- Pensacola — 97
- Cantonment — 20
- Bellview — 5
- Perdido Key — 1
- Molino – 1
- Century — 1
- Residents: 118
- Nonresidents — 7
- Hospitalizations: 9
- Deaths — 1
- Men — 66
- Women — 60
- Youngest: 2
- Oldest: 94
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 58 (+3 since Sunday)
- Milton — 21
- Navarre — 15
- Gulf Breeze — 12
- Pace — 5
- Jay — 1
- Residents: 48
- Nonresidents — 0
- Hospitalizations — 8
- Deaths — 2
- Men — 31
- Women — 22
- Youngest — 2 months
- Oldest — 81
Florida cases:
- Total cases — 13,324
- Florida residents — 12,925
- Non-Florida residents — 399
- Deaths — 236
- Hospitalized — 1,593
Nearly 4,000 Tested For COVID-19 In Escambia County. About Half Have Their Results.
April 6, 2020
About half of those tested for COVID-19 in Escambia County have received their results.
The latest data as of Sunday night shows that 3,939 tests have been performed in Escambia County by Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist Hospital, West Florida Hospital and Community Health Northwest Florida. Of those tests, 3,226 were conducted in drive-thrus and 713 were conducted in hospitals’ inpatient, outpatient and emergency facilities.
There were 1,965 negative test results received, and 125 positives. That’s just over 50% of test results that are back, with a 6% positive rate; statewide the positive rate was 10.6%.
The Florida Department of Health lags behind in reporting testing numbers. The FDOH only showed 1,719 tests conducted in Escambia County Sunday night with 1,592 negatives.
As of Sunday night, there were nine hospitalizations and one fatality in Escambia County.
Gas Prices Continue Their Downward Plunge
April 6, 2020
Gas prices continue to decline in Florida, down an average of 50 cents in the past 40 days, according to AAA.
The state average price was at a four-year low of $1.91 a gallon.
The average price per gallon in Escambia County was $1.82. But the lowest price per gallon Sunday night in Pensacola was $1.57, and the lowest in North Escambia Sunday night was $1.63 at a Cantonment station on Muscogee Road.
“The recent crude oil rally is not yet enough to force gas prices higher, but it does affect how much lower they can go,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Historically, gas prices rise like a rocket and fall like a feather. In this case, retail prices are still slowly falling to catch up with the massive discounts in oil and gasoline values that we saw in the past six weeks. While it’s unclear which way oil prices will go this week, the plunge at the pump should continue this week.”
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Third COVID-19 Case Confirmed In Escambia County, Alabama
April 6, 2020
The Alabama Department of Public Health has confirmed a third COVID-19 case in Escambia County, Alabama, on Sunday.
ADOH has not released additional information about the city of residence or age of any of the patients. The state reported there have been 70 total COVID-19 tests in the county.
There were 1,842 COVID-19 cases in Alabama as of Sunday night. There have been 31 deaths in the state.
Century To Hold Council Meeting Tonight By Phone Due To COVID-19
April 6, 2020
The Town of Century will conduct their Monday night council meetings by phone due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines.
A bill list review meeting at 6:45 p.m. and the regular council meeting at 7 p.m. can be accessed by calling (712) 770-5019 and entering 227646# when prompted. There is no fee for using the service, but long distance and per minute charges may apply depending on your phone plan.
An order from Gov. Ron DeSantis allows public bodies in Florida to meet without a quorum in the same physical room, but all other aspects of the Sunshine Law still apply.
ECAT Rides Are Free Beginning Today. But You Should Use The Rear Door.
April 6, 2020
Riders can now take Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) transportation for free, and they are being asked to use the rear door of the bus.
ECAT temporarily suspend fare collection for bus passengers due to COVID-19 In addition, bus passengers will be instructed to enter and exit through the rear doors only and sit behind the accessibility-reserved seating area. Front-door access will be permitted only for passengers needing the boarding ramp or operator assistance to access the bus. ADA accessible seating space near the front of the bus is reserved for individuals in mobility devices, individuals in need of special assistance and families with children in strollers.
The changes will provide some separation between the operator and the passengers—and between passengers. The changes are being implemented in addition to precautions already implemented by ECAT, including increased sanitizing efforts of every bus on a daily basis.
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) is expected to receive $10.3 million in COVID-19 stimulus funding, and they are temporarily suspending all fares.
The CARES Act funds are for capital and operational expenses during COVID-19 for local transit services. It’s 100% funding with no local match required.
COVID-19 Cases Reported In Florida Prison Inmates, Staff Cases Rise
April 6, 2020
The Florida Department of Corrections is reporting two prisoners that are positive for COVID-19 and a growing number of cases among staff.
Two inmates at the Blackwater Correctional Facility in Milton have been diagnosed positive.
There are 23 total employees and contract staff that have tested positive for COVID-19 at 15 prisons. That includes one at Century Correctional Institution and five at the privately operated Blackwater Correctional Facility.