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Escambia COVID-19 Hospitalizations Down About 25%; Sacred Heart Says Case Load Is Still High

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Escambia County has declined about 25% in the past two weeks.

There were 288 COVID-19 patients in the hospital Wednesday, eight of those under age 18. Two weeks ago, there were 398 hospitalizations.

Ascension Sacred Heart Hospitalizations

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola has declined over the past week but cases remain at a very high level, the hospital said Wednesday.

The number of hospitalized patients fluctuates frequently, so any individual data points are only a moment-in-time snapshot.

There were a total of 121 people being treated for complications from COVID-19 infection at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola. The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 a week ago was 149.

In addition, there were five children with COVID-19 being treated at Studer Family Children’s Hospital.

The current number of 121 patients is seven times higher than what it was on July 4, shortly before the current surge began in Northwest Florida. On July 4, the hospital had 17 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

While cases have dropped over the past week, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is still higher than the hospital’s previous peak of COVID-19 patients that occurred in January 2021.

Of all COVID-19 patients coming to Sacred Heart for care, including visits to the ER, more than half were under age 50.

Overall, the infection rate in the Pensacola area appears to be very high, Sacred Heart said. COVID-19 testing conducted in Pensacola by Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart Tuesday found that 34 percent of those who were swab tested were found to have COVID-19. That is 2.5 times higher than what Ascension Medical Group recorded on average last year. Among children 18 and under who had nasal swabs collected Tuesday, 36 percent were found to have the virus.

In the Ascension hospitals in Northwest Florida and Mobile, Ala., 93 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are not vaccinated.

“The community should know that cases of COVID-19 remain high and the Delta variant of the virus is still widespread,” said Dawn Rudolph, president of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola. “We grieve for those who have passed from COVID-19 and we encourage you to help us stop COVID19 spread by wearing masks in public indoor spaces, social distancing, and, most important, getting the vaccine. Everyone in our community plays a critical role in keeping us safe from this virus.”