The week was off to a promising start as the Florida Department of Health showed the state has had the smallest daily increase of COVID-19 cases since June 11.
Officials announced Monday that Florida had 1,736 new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours. However, the number of deaths linked to the coronavirus increased by 36 since the numbers that came out the day before.
The numbers — though still nowhere near where health experts want them to be in order to consider the pandemic “safely managed” — did put some at ease and several took to social media to voice their frustration with the continued emergency order. Bars and breweries opened for the first time on Monday as well and photos from locations across the state showed a mix of well-managed and safely distanced venues to packed houses.
By Tuesday, however, the story began to change. By that afternoon, Florida added 3,116 coronavirus cases and 146 COVID-19-related deaths. This shot the total statewide infection number up to 668,846 since March. The weekly death average is now up to 126 people per day, bringing the total to 12,946 people. This week’s numbers still reflect the increase that resulted thanks to widespread Labor Day events.
It appears there are mixed views on the state of emergency in Hillsborough County and Florida as a whole. Many are calling to rescind the mask mandate, open businesses to capacity and get rid of the lingering restrictions in place that help minimize the spread of the virus, as is evident at each week’s Board of County Commissioners emergency management meeting. Others look at the current numbers and are determined the state remain under lock and key until it can successfully get a grip on the virus.
But change is in the air. This week it was announced that staff from assisted-living facilities in Florida no longer have to be tested for the coronavirus. Florida issued a statewide order in June that required nursing home and assisted-living facility staff to test themselves every two weeks to make sure they had not contracted the virus. Those who tested positive went home and workers were not allowed to come inside the building until they could prove they had tested negative.
Two emergency mandates from the Agency for Health Care Administration, however, expired on Sunday and changed the rules. Nursing home staff still have to be tested due to federal guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but those who work in assisted-living facilities don’t have to.
“With the expiration of the state Rule 59AER20-4, assisted-living facilities will no longer be required to routinely test staff,” an alert AHCA sent to healthcare providers read.
This is the latest change for nursing homes as Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an order earlier this month that allowed nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to once again welcome visitors.
To get the county’s latest health update, tune into the BOCC’s special meeting at 1:30 p.m. today. You can stream the meeting on Hillsborough County’s Facebook or YouTube pages.