One year later: Florida emergency management chief says Hurricane Ian recovery โhas a way to goโ
The recovery process from the massive destruction of Hurricane Ian has been โnonstop, 7 days a weekโ and according to Florida Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie, the job is far from over.
Governor expected to sign declaration of disaster request for Hurricane Nicole
Floridaโs emergency management team is set to present Gov. Ron DeSantis with damage assessments to be used as evidence to request major federal disaster declarations for public assistance and individual assistance in the wake of Hurricane Nicole.
As FEMA-backed sites resume Johnson & Johnson vaccine use, Florida reports 4,716 new COVID-19 cases
After the U.S. lifted its pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced federally supported vaccination sites would resume the use of J&J vaccines starting Sunday morning.
Florida FEMA-supported vaccine sites to offer first doses until early April
ORLANDO, Fla. โ The federally-supported vaccine sites in Florida, including in Orlando, will continue to offer first dose coronavirus vaccines until April 7, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced Monday. The FEMA-supported sites in Orlando at Valencia College as well as in Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami were set to begin administering only second doses of the vaccine but will continue to offer 500 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine per day from March 24 to April 7, according to a news release. Beginning April 7, these sites will only offer the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine through April 14. Satellite sites associated with each federally-supported hub site will continue only administering second dose shots between March 24 โ April 14. The federally-supported sites were only supposed to be open for eight weeks.
UPDATE: Volusia makes more changes to vaccine appointment dates due to winter storms across the country
All rights reserved)VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. โ Some COVID-19 vaccine appointments have been pushed back in DeLand due to the winter storms across the country, according to Volusia County officials. The Florida Division of Emergency Management said 200,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine did not make it to the state on Tuesday. This delay caused Volusia County to make some changes to some vaccine appointments. Volusia County said anyone signed up for a first dose at the fairgrounds in DeLand on Thursday or Friday has been rescheduled for Feb. 23,25, or 26. [RELATED: Winter storm delays Floridaโs shipment of 200,000 doses of Moderna vaccine][RELATED: Publix delays vaccine appointment portal reopening as snowstorm affects supply]
Central Florida vaccinations delayed, state reports 7,000 new COVID-19 cases
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Due to the winter storms across the country, some COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Central Florida communities have been pushed back. The Florida Division of Emergency Management said 200,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine did not make it to the state on Tuesday. CasesThe Florida Department of Health reported 7,253 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the stateโs overall total to 1,844,627 cases since the virus was first detected on March 1. HospitalizationsAs of Wednesday afternoon, there were currently 4,460 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration. VaccinationsThe Florida Department of Health recently began releasing a daily report on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state.
Massive winter storm delays vaccine deliveries to Florida, report says
ORLANDO, Fla. โ A massive winter storm impacting a large portion of the United States and causing major travel issues delay shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Florida, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The newspaper reported Monday that Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said the state had been alerted about the delay. [TRENDING: Winter storm shuts down Fla. schools | Fla. man arrested in Capitol riot: I was following Trumpโs orders | Shoe removed from 341-pound croc]AdItโs not known how many doses will be affected and when deliveries will resume. The storm has sparked emergency declarations in Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas. A Florida school district was even forced to close due to icy road conditions.
Florida takes over vaccinating long-term care facilities from CVS, Walgreens
(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)ORLANDO, Fla. โ After nearly three weeks of vaccinating residents and staff at Florida long-term care facilities, CVS and Walgreens will no longer be part of those inoculations, according to an update from the state Agency for Health Care Administration. CDR Health will now take over all vaccination appointments at facilities across the state, according to the AHCA update. Ron DeSantis said CDR Health was contracted because โtime is of the essenceโ to vaccinate all 4,000 facilities. Anyone who already had their first vaccine from CVS Health prior to Jan. 23 will continue with CVS Health, according to Omnicare. If an appointment was scheduled after Jan. 23 CDR Health will be contacting facilities to re-schedule those appointments.
Health First receives nearly 2,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Brevard seniors, health care workers
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. โ Brevard County is gearing up to begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations to people ages 65 and older, as well as health care workers who provide direct patient care. We are appreciative of @GovRonDeSantis and @FLSERT Director Jared Moskowitz, for their efforts to provide us with nearly 2,000 Pfizer vaccines. โ Health First (@Health_First) January 8, 2021โHealth First is honored to be able to continue to protect our community from COVID-19,โ Health First Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Jeffrey Stalnaker said. Healthcare workers who sign up to receive a vaccine must bring a photo ID or healthcare badge for proof of identity. They should also include COVID-19 vaccine as the reason for their visit and fill in all of the required fields.
Florida reports more than 8,500 new coronavirus infections as state nears 1 million mark
ORLANDO, Fla. โ The nation is averaging 172,000 new coronavirus cases per day, nearly doubling since the end of October, according to Johns Hopkins University. Hospitalizations, deaths and the testing positivity rate are also up sharply as the nation approaches Thanksgiving. In Florida, where positive cases are nearly 1 million overall, long lines for coronavirus testing are expected to continue as millions prepare to travel for the holiday, according to emergency management officials. Below is information provided by the Florida Department of Health for Tuesday, Nov. 24. CasesThe Florida Department of Health reported 8,555 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the stateโs overall total to 953,300 cases since March.
COVID-19 testing will continue at Volusia fairgrounds
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. โ Coronavirus testing will continue at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, according to county officials. County officials said the free testing at the Hester Building will now continue through Oct. 30. The extension was made possible after a decision from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, according to county officials. The site operates seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.A patient does not need to schedule an appointment, according to county officials. Volusia officials said no symptoms are required to get a test.
Florida to receive 6.4 million rapid COVID-19 test kits from federal government
Florida will receive 400,000 rapid-test kits a week that can be used to detect COVID-19 infections at schools, senior centers and long-term care facilities, Gov. Molecular tests, such as RT-PCR tests, detect the virus' genetic material but can take from a day to a week to get the results. Antigen tests detect specific proteins on the surface of the virus and come back within 15 minutes. Nevertheless, DeSantis said Tuesday that he may use some of the rapid test kits coming to Florida to supplant PCR testing that the state is conducting, saying it would reduce costs by 75%. In all, DeSantis said Florida would receive 6.4 million rapid test kits under the federal governmentโs plan to provide more than 150 million kits across the nation.
CDC tells states to prepare for COVID-19 vaccine in November but researchers say it might be too soon
DeLAND, Fla. The CDC is asking state officials to start preparing for a COVID-19 vaccine distribution as early as November, according to documents obtained by News 6. The documents shed more light on how the state is preparing to distribute a coronavirus vaccine. According to the documents, the CDC said limited vaccines may be available by early November. He adds it needs to be analyzed first to make sure a possible vaccine is safe and effective. According to the guidance, the CDC is asking state officials to identify critical populations to determine who would receive the vaccine first.
Volusia County Fairgrounds to have COVID-19 testing Sunday
The Volusia County Fairgrounds will conduct viral and antibody testing on Sunday, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Individuals getting antibody testing will be required to get a nasal swab first, according to officials. Testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments for viral testing are recommended and can be made online at www.doineedacovid19test.com/. Individuals must print and bring their test voucher and a picture ID with them on the day of their test.
List of Central Florida COVID-19 testing sites set to close as storm approaches
ORLANDO, Fla. The Florida Division of Emergency Management announced state-supported drive-thru and walk-up coronavirus testing sites will temporarily close at 5 p.m. on Thursday as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches the state. State and County officials announced the following COVID-19 testing sites will temporarily close:The Orange County Convention CenterTesting through Orange County Health ServicesSaturdays scheduled testing at Winter Springs High School has been canceledState walk-up testing at Oviedo Home Depot will end at 5 p.m. on ThursdayThe outdoor sites are not capable of handling tropical-storm-force winds. The drive-thru and walk-up sites will reopen at the latest by 8 a.m. on Aug. 5, according to the department of health. The reopening of the testing sites all depends on what happens with the storm. The DOH said the sites will reopen when it is safe to do so.
1,400 more nurses will be deployed to hospitals in Florida, according to Gov. DeSantis
Ron DeSantis said the Florida Division of Emergency Management is in the process of deploying 1,400 nurses to hospitals in the state. A more immediate concern than bed availability is ensuring hospitals have the medical personnel to staff the beds. @FLSERT is in the process of deploying 1,400 nurses to hospitals throughout the state. Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 21, 2020He said the state continues to monitor hospital bed availability. DeSantis said he wants to make sure hospitals have the medical personnel to staff the beds.
Florida Emergency Operations Center closes after 12 employees test positive for COVID-19
The Division of Emergency Management said in a tweet Thursday that it has been conducting biweekly testing at the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee for several weeks. According to the Democrat article, 12 employees have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. โThe EOC (Emergency Operations Center) is open, weโre operating,โ Moskowitz said. Protocols have also been set up that will limit occupancy at the Emergency Operations Center if a hurricane threatens the state. More than 315,700 people in Florida have tested positive for the virus since March.
Orange County Convention Center antibody testing reaches capacity, coronavirus tests still available
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. โ The Orange County Convention Center COVID-19 antibody test site reached capacity Thursday morning, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Officials said swab testing for the coronavirus is still available. Antibody tests determine if someone has developed antibodies for the virus, which indicates they had COVID-19 at some point. The line for the testing site at the convention center began in the early hours Thursday morning. โWe have six swab lanes and two antibody lanes and once those antibody tests have been exhausted for the day, we can convert them into swab lanes, so we actually have eight swab lanes that are up and running,โ Jachles said.
Hereโs why you should add masks, hand sanitizer to your hurricane kit
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Florida is kicking off its hurricane tax holiday this week as Floridians prepare for the storms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Craig Fugate, the former director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said despite the coronavirus, Floridians need to treat this year's hurricane season the same as years past. Fugate said you still need to have an evacuation plan and build a hurricane kit because the most important thing is being prepared. "Maybe have a bottle or two of hand sanitizer, have a little bit in your kit," Carter said. [RELATED: Save money on these items starting Friday during Floridaโs hurricane sales tax holiday | Download News 6โฒs Hurricane Preparedness Checklist]He said you may also want to get gloves and masks.