DeSantis announces more CVS Pharmacy locations will provide COVID-19 vaccinations
Trending
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday afternoon in Lehigh Acres that beginning Thursday, eligible Florida residents will be able to be vaccinated for COVID-19 at an additional 76 CVS Pharmacy locations throughout the state.
"I'm happy to announce a major expansion of our partnership with CVS Pharmacy to increase the number of their stores that offer the COVID-19 vaccinations," DeSantis said from CVS Pharmacy in Lehigh.
Now, more than 150 CVS Pharmacy locations throughout the state of Florida will offer the vaccine, including seven in Lee County.
The only CVS location in Cape Coral that will offer vaccines is at 737 Cape Coral Parkway, E.
"We're proud to play a part in increasing access to the vaccine to as many people as possible to enable reopening efforts in the Florida communities we serve," said Brian Bosnic, division vice president of CVS Pharmacy. "We're also making significant progress in reaching more vulnerable communities, which will continue to be an essential part of our vaccination effort across the state."
The additional 76 retail locations announced today are in addition to the 81 stores previously announced by DeSantis in February, bringing the total number of CVS Health vaccination sites to 157. These include CVS Pharmacy, CVS Pharmacy y más and Navarro Discount Pharmacy locations.
The additional 76 participating CVS Pharmacy locations are in the following counties: Alachua, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Leon, Marion, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia.
The governor's office said as more supply becomes available, the company will expand to more store locations and in more Florida communities.
Individuals wishing to receive a vaccine at a CVS Health location must register in advance at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. People without online access can contact CVS Customer Service: [(800) 746-7287]. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided.
Vaccine age requirement to be lowered to 60 beginning next week
DeSantis on Monday signed an executive order stating that beginning March 15, individuals 60 and older, as well as K-12 school employees, law enforcement officers and firefighters over the age of 50 will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Also eligible are long-term care facility residents and staff, as well as health care personnel with direct patient contact.
By the Numbers
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are 1,952,733 total cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Florida, an increase of 4,426 since FDOH's last update Monday.
Test results reported to the Department of Health on Monday, Feb.22, resulted in a 5.87% positivity rate among 91,613 tests.
The state saw its highest daily percentage of positive patients on Dec. 29 when 22.75% percent of tests reported were positive among 62,303 tests.
The average positivity rate in new cases over the last week is 5.66%.
Of those testing positive, 81,331 Florida residents have been hospitalized at some point during their illness according to the state.
The death toll increased by 132 from Monday's report, bringing the total number of deaths, both resident and non-resident, to 32,349.
According to the state, hospitalizations in Lee County, and statewide in Florida, make up 4% of all positive cases. Deaths statewide and in Lee County stand at 2% of positive cases.
On Dec. 27, 974 people were given the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine throughout the state according to FDOH. The total number of persons vaccinated as of Tuesday throughout Florida was 3,658,030 with 141,423 being in Lee County. According to the state, 1,965,940 individuals have their vaccine series completed, 74,093 of those being in Lee County.
In Lee County, 59,053 individuals (+167) have tested positive as of Tuesday's update.
Positive COVID-19 cases in the county have ranged from infants to a 103-year-old. Lee County saw its first two cases on March 7, 2020, when a man and a woman, each 77, tested positive. They had traveled to the Dominican Republic.
There have been 894 deaths in Lee County, an increase of five since Monday's report.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Lee Health had 61 COVID-19 patients isolated in system inpatient hospitals, including seven new admissions and nine discharges since Monday. Over the weekend, Lee Health saw 28 new COVID-19 admissions and 21 discharges.
On Monday, Lee Health had a 18% positivity rate on COVID-19 tests processed through Lee Health Labs. This represents Lee Health results only, not Lee County as a whole. Hospital positivity rates tend to be higher as the tests are performed on patients seeking treatment for a health issue, not the general public that includes asymptomatic individuals.
A total of 5,300 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from Lee Health facilities since the beginning of the pandemic.
Census as of Tuesday afternoon was at 93% of staffed operational bed capacity, with 4.4% of those being COVID-19 patients. Staffed operational capacity reflects the number of beds for which the hospital has adequate staffing, not the total number of beds within Lee Health hospitals. Overall bed capacity fluctuates hour to hour as the system discharges patients throughout the day who are ready to go home.
As of Tuesday, 72% of ventilators and 15% of ICU rooms are available for use across Lee Health facilities.
As of Tuesday, there were four COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 11 in the intensive care unit.
COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral disease. For most individuals, symptoms are mild. For a minority, the disease becomes a type of viral pneumonia with severe complications. Especially at risk are those who are older, those with underlying health conditions and the immune-compromised.
Officials strongly urge all members of the public who are at risk to remain at home so as to limit exposure. All others are urged to observe social distancing and to wear a mask for all public interactions.
For more detail on Florida resident cases, visit the live DOH Dashboard.
To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, visit the Department of Health's dedicated COVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control, visit the CDC COVID-19 website. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, visit the travel advisory website.
For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, contact the Department's dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
-- Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj