Number Of Florida Prison Staff Positive For Coronavirus Grows; One Positive Inmate Reported
April 5, 2020
Updated – As the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 increases among employees and staff in Florida prisons, the Florida Department of Corrections is reporting one positive inmate.
An inmate at the Blackwater Correctional Facility in Milton has 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 four at the privately operated Blackwater Correctional Facility in Milton.
“In order to protect the personal health information of these individuals, FDC will not identify the name or occupation of the employees,” FDC said in a statement. “Staff…may be employed by FDC or one of its contractors. Any employee who is symptomatic, or who has tested positive for COVID-19, will not be allowed entry to a correctional institution. The employee will not be allowed to return to work until a full recovery is documented by a medical professional and DOH and CDC guidelines are followed. Additional questions on the above individuals (gender, age, travel status) should be directed to the Florida DOH (Florida Department of Health).”
First Escambia County COVID-19 Death Reported; Case Count Inches Up In Escambia, Santa Rosa
April 4, 2020
The first COVID-19 death in Escambia County was reported Saturday morning by the Florida Department of Health. The fatality was a 75-year old female.
Santa Rosa County has recorded two deaths since the pandemic began.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County increased by five on Saturday, the Florida Department of Health said, while Santa Rosa positive cases increased by three
As of the Saturday evening report, the number of cases in Escambia County is now 118 with nine in the hospital, an increase of four hospitalizations since Friday. There are 50 confirmed cases in Santa Rosa County with seven in the hospital.
Escambia County cases:
- Total cases — 118 (+5 since Friday)
- Pensacola — 84
- Cantonment — 19
- Bellview — 5
- Perdido Key — 1
- Century — 1
- Residents: 110
- Nonresidents — 7
- Hospitalizations: 9
- Deaths — 1
- Men — 61
- Women — 57
- Youngest: 2
- Oldest: 94
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 50 (+3 since Friday)
- Navarre — 15
- Milton — 15
- Gulf Breeze — 11
- Pace — 5
- Jay — 1
- Residents: 48
- Nonresidents — 0
- Hospitalizations — 8
- Deaths — 2
- Men — 30
- Women — 20
- Youngest: 2 months
- Oldest: 81
Florida cases:
- Total cases: 11,545
- Florida residents: 11,173
- Deaths — 195
- Hospitalized — 1,470
CDC Now Recommending Americans Wear Face Masks
April 4, 2020
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
The CDC said the recommendation applies in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as in grocery stores and pharmacies, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
Maintaining six-feet minimum social distancing remains important to slowing spread of COVID-19. CDC also advises use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.
Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The cloth face coverings recommended to slow spread of COVID-19 are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those critical supplies must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
Escambia COVID-19 Cases Up By 12 On Friday; Statewide Cases Top 10,000
April 4, 2020
THIS STORY IS OUTDATED. CLICK HERE FOR AN UPDATE.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County increased by 12 on Friday, the Florida Department of Health said, while Santa Rosa positive cases remained at the same number
The number of cases in Escambia County is now 113 with five in the hospital, an increase of one on Friday. There are 48 confirmed cases in Santa Rosa County with seven in the hospital and two fatalities.
The state reports that one of the Escambia County cases is a resident or staff of a long-term care facility, but the facility was not specified by the Department of Health.
Escambia County cases:
- Total cases — 113 (+12 since Thursday)
- Pensacola — 74
- Cantonment — 17
- Bellview — 5
- Perdido Key — 1
- Century — 1
- Residents: 106
- Nonresidents — 13
- Hospitalizations: 5
- Deaths — 0
- Men — 61
- Women — 52
- Youngest: 2
- Oldest: 94
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 48 +1 since Thursday))
- Navarre — 14
- Milton — 14
- Gulf Breeze — 11
- Pace — 4
- Jay — 1
- Residents: 48
- Nonresidents — 0
- Hospitalizations — 7
- Deaths — 2
- Men — 27
- Women — 20
- Youngest: 2 months
- Oldest: 81
Florida cases:
- Total cases: 10,268
- Florida residents: 9,925
- Deaths — 170
- Hospitalized — 1,334
Here Are DIY Face Mask Instructions. No Sewing Necessary. (With Printable Guide)
April 4, 2020
For instructions from the CDC how how to make your own face masks with or without sewing from common household items. Click here or the image below to enlarge (printable pdf instructions).
State Attorney’s Office Employee Tests Positive For Coronavirus
April 4, 2020
The Office of the State Attorney announced Friday that an employee of the Pensacola office tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.
The employee was sent home and will not return until being medically cleared.
As a result of the positive test, the office has contacted the Florida Department of Health and is following all recommended procedures. Any employee who has been in close contact with the individual who tested positive will be out of the office for 14 days or until medically cleared
. All areas of the office were deep cleaned and individual’s work area was cordoned off for 72 hours.
The employee who tested positive is a non-courtroom employee and has had little or no contact with any agencies outside the State Attorney’s Office.
“This situation will not affect the ability of our office to perform the duties of our office. No further information will be provided,” the State Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Escambia (AL) Schools Cancel Free Meals For Kids In Response To Governor’s Stay-At-Home Order
April 4, 2020
The Escambia County (AL) School System reacted to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s stay-at home order by canceling free meals for kids.
The district began offering free meals on March 30 to ages 18 and under at school across the county.
“Food distributions have been suspended due to the stay at home order by Governor Ivey,” was posted with no further explanation on the district’s Facebook page.
It was not clear what portion of the governor’s order led to the decision — Ivey’s order states that persons can leave home to obtain food, government-funded services or benefits, and it’s a critical function for schools to prepare meals for eligible students.
Florida Dept. Of Corrections Resumes Inmate Intakes, Establishes Quarantine Procedures
April 4, 2020
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) has resumed intake of new commitments from Florida counties.
Under CDC guidelines, FDC is asking county jails to quarantine inmates scheduled to be transferred to prison for 14 days prior to transfer, when possible.
“This two-week pause in new intakes gave us the time we needed to establish robust precautions against introducing COVID-19 into the inmate population,” said FDC Secretary Mark Inch. “We appreciate Florida’s law enforcement community working with us as we took this preventative measure and move forward with a new protocol during this evolving health emergency.”
New intakes will be placed on a 14-day quarantine limiting movement and interaction with the general inmate population except in emergencies. Inmates will be socially distanced as much as possible within their housing units. All meals will be served to the inmates within their housing unit. Medical staff will monitor the inmates twice daily to ensure no inmates show symptoms of illness. At the conclusion of the 14-day quarantine, the inmates will be moved to the general population and the entire dormitory will be sanitized.
Pictured: Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Century’s Mayor, Good Samaritans Donated Medical Supplies To Local Practice
April 4, 2020
Century Mayor Henry Hawkins and several good Samaritans recently donated medical supplies to Community Health Northwest Florida’s Century adult practice. They delivered bandages, gowns, gauze sponges, glucose testers, and more supplies are on the way.
Century’s Clinical Office Manager Jennifer Johnson said she is “grateful and humbled”.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Clouds For Saturday, A Small Rain Chance Overnight
April 4, 2020
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Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
This Afternoon: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Calm wind.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Calm wind.
Sunday: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Calm wind.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. West wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79.