Jacob Ogles
Lee Health officials confirmed the curve has flattened for new COVID-19 cases, even as the number of hospitalizations gradually increases.
At a press conference alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis, Lee Health CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci said the region isn’t seeing a spike in cases.
“We’re seeing there was a peak a few weeks ago, and now the numbers are beginning to very gradually level off,” Antonucci said.
He spoke to Florida Politics at Gulf Coast Medical Center, the same hospital where the first known death from COVID-19 in the Eastern United States occurred.
DeSantis suggested statewide, Florida has been able to contain the pandemic by locking down nursing homes and enacting other preemptive measures. At the Monday press conference, DeSantis made a sharp distinction between Phase One counties, those 64 where a stay-at-home order and other restrictions have been eased, and with three Florida counties left under order — Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Palm Beach County enters Phase One Monday.
Based on data available through Sunday, the share of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 has been very low, around 1.43%. It’s around 10% in Miami, he said, which is still what the federal government considers a threshold for an area of serious concern.
“We’ve been in good shape even in Miami,” DeSantis said. “When you look at those 64 counties, I think it’s even more significant.”
Lee County, where the press conference took place, has seen its share of cases. As of Monday morning, 1,285 individuals tested positive for COVID-19 in Lee County, and 68 county residents had died. A total of 323 have been hospitalized during the pandemic.
Antonucci said as of Monday, 81 were still hospitalized, up from 75 who were hospitalized one month prior on April 11. That difference is one he considers statistically insignificant.
While he still stresses the importance of social distancing and wearing face masks in public, not something required by local government but which hospital leaders recommend, he feels the region is past a zenith.
“Now, that doesn’t say whether we will have another peak along the way,” he said. “As social distancing begins to be relaxed, we want to make sure that patients and people in the community don’t begin to get complacent.”
A panel of medical experts also stressed that Lee County has ramped up its non-coronavirus services, slowly bringing back elective surgeries in area hospitals. Right now, the hospital is still doing roughly half the number of surgeries per day as performed pre-pandemic, but there are medically necessary conditions put on hold that are again being addressed.
DeSantis said, based on his visits to hospitals across the state, he feels confident non-COVID patients can safely access hospital care.
“These are very safe places to be if you’re having a health problem,” DeSantis said.
2 comments
Lisa Martell
May 11, 2020 at 10:01 pm
DeSantis is roaming the state on some sort of victory tour. Seriously?!
Nursing home deaths don’t jive with reality. Gross under reporting.
Just have a look at the Miami Herald piece. Indicating vast under
counting at Nursing and VA facilities.
State reports on testing are only #’s of state labs, when 90%
of people are tested at private labs. Only 545K tests have been done
in the state. Aren’t we a state of 20 million? Where is the greatly
amped up testing and I haven’t heard anything about contact tracing.
Medical Examiners report ALL covid deaths which reflect a higher
and more accurate number than the FDOH.
Full transparency has been seriously lacking from day one. Regarding
EVERYTHING pertaining to this pandemic.
EVERYONE wants to get the economy going but we are moving entirely too
quickly. Who are these “medical experts”? Perhaps they work in an oval
shaped office.
So, let’s just disregard the projections of even more carnage
during the summer. The supposed “safeguards” such as masks and social distancing
is a crap statement. Completely unenforceable and we will definitely see so many people disregarding logic. Americans are spoiled and entitled with a “you’re not the boss of me attitude”. How long before business owners and their employees begin to be abused by people who think their rights are being violated and will not respect any logical rules put in place by the various business owners. It is their right to go out for ice cream, get their hair done, hang in bars, etc… Really?
Florida is the “go to” destination for millions of people. Let’s just open it all
up and for anyone who gets sick, no worries. There are plenty of open beds
should they be needed.
As the tourists and other visitors return from whence they came. You are on your own
as you spread covid to many parts of the country and the world.
CovIDIOTS everywhere from Washington DC to our Governor and throughout the population.
Lord help us all.
AndyZep
May 12, 2020 at 8:29 pm
Poverty will cause far more deaths than the Coronavirus. This overreaction to the Coronavirus will have long term health consequences when everyone is made poor. Desantis is a hero. Sweden has shown that the lockdowns are counterproductive.
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