In the two weeks since Thanksgiving, when the state’s long-term care facility residents were allowed to check out to visit their families, the number of coronavirus cases in Florida facilities is up by almost 16 percent — from 1,402 on Nov. 26 to 1,622 on Dec. 10.
During the same time period, the state’s overall case numbers have surged. At the end of Thanksgiving week, the state was adding an average of 7,943 coronavirus cases a day; this week, it added an average of 9,381 cases a day.
While the increase in care facility cases is worrisome, some in the industry say they’re grateful that the numbers aren’t higher.
“The fact that there hasn’t been a post-Thanksgiving spike the way we expected is surprising in that kind of cautiously good way,” said Jeff Johnson, AARP’s Florida state director. “Obviously, we have to continue to watch those trends. There’s certainly a pressing need for the state to remain vigilant and do everything we can to keep long-term care residents safe.”
The number of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities reporting cases is trending upward, Johnson said. On Nov. 30, there were 914 Florida facilities with cases, and on Dec. 10, there were 1,015 facilities with cases, he said.
In Tampa Bay, the number of coronavirus cases in long-term care centers increased by about 5 percent from 227 cases on Nov. 26 to 238 cases on Dec. 10, according to Florida Department of Health daily reports. These numbers include cases in Hillsborough, Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
“We’re at this point where we just have to be hopeful that that’s a sign of us doing well and not a sign of the wave that’s about to break,” Johnson said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced updated coronavirus-era visitation rules on Oct. 22 that allowed residents of long-term care facilities to travel to their families’ homes for the holidays.
But families may want to resist bringing their loved ones home for the December holiday season, Johnson said.
“I recognize that that’s going to be incredibly isolating,” he said. “But regardless of what is allowed by the state, I would encourage families to think really hard about sticking to virtual visits or through-the-window visits at this time. The last thing we want to do is exacerbate a trend, especially in facilities.”
Compared to the state surge, the increase in coronavirus cases among nursing home residents is relatively low, said Kristen Knapp, spokesperson for the Florida Health Care Association, a trade group representing nursing homes.
“I think we’ve done a good job of understanding the virus and understanding how to mitigate the spread,” she said. “But again, when we see cases in the community, it’s going to be reflected in our centers.”
Knapp’s association is reminding families that if they take their loved ones home for the holidays, they must understand the risks and take precautionary measures. Some facilities may enforce a 14-day quarantine when residents return to help prevent spread in the buildings, she said.
“No one’s really talking about change in the overall visitation policies,” Knapp said. “But they are looking at doing visitation outside as opposed to inside the building.”
In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, coronavirus infection rates in Florida nursing homes were lower than in homes in other parts of the country, according to a report Thursday from AARP.
AARP’s Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard for the four weeks ending Nov. 15 used data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to track how nursing homes were handling the coronavirus, Johnson said. Florida’s homes were averaging 2.3 cases for every 100 residents, while the rest of the country averaged 5.7 cases per 100 residents, according to the report.
Thanksgiving visits by care-facility residents likely aren’t reflected in the state’s caseload yet, said Brian Lee, director of Families for Better Care, an advocacy nonprofit for residents’ families. But the increase in cases over the past month is notable, he said.
Lee attributes the increase to transmission from staff to residents and increased visitation over the fall. The number of care facility workers in Florida with coronavirus increased by about 11 percent from 1,728 cases on Nov. 26 to 1,912 cases on Dec. 10, according to the Florida Department of Health.
“So that’s worrisome to me, because we’re still a ways off from getting people vaccinated,” Lee said. “But what we do know is that even if it’s not as high as it was over the summer, we don’t want to see it get too high.
“And right now, it’s going in that direction.”
• • •
Tampa Bay Times coronavirus coverage
HOW CORONAVIRUS IS SPREADING IN FLORIDA: Find the latest numbers for your county, city or zip code.
VACCINES Q & A: Have coronavirus vaccine questions? We have answers, Florida.
FACE MASKS: Read the latest on guidelines, tips for comfort and long-term wear
GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information.
THE CORONAVIRUS SCRAPBOOK: We collected your stories, pictures, songs, recipes, journals and more to show what life has been like during the pandemic.
A TRIBUTE TO THE FLORIDIANS TAKEN BY THE CORONAVIRUS: They were parents and retirees, police officer and doctors, imperfect but loved deeply.
HAVE A TIP?: Send us confidential news tips
We’re working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed,please consider buying a print or digital subscription.
"up" - Google News
December 12, 2020 at 08:32AM
https://ift.tt/3mgJQQN
Coronavirus cases are up in Tampa Bay care centers since Thanksgiving - Tampa Bay Times
"up" - Google News
https://ift.tt/350tWlq
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Coronavirus cases are up in Tampa Bay care centers since Thanksgiving - Tampa Bay Times"
Post a Comment