The hours of Lee Health’s COVID-19 mobile collection sites are changing beginning next week. 

The Fort Myers mobile collection site at Lee Convenient Care’s Page Field location will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon. The Cape Coral mobile collection site at the Chester Street Resource Center will be open Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Patients require a doctor’s order and an appointment to have their sample collected for testing at these locations.

 

By the Numbers

As of 11 a.m. Friday, there are 593,286 total cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Florida, an increase of 4,684 since FDOH’s last update Thursday morning. 

More than 79,200 test results were reported to the Department of Health on Thursday, Aug. 20. Of those reported tests, 6.83 percent tested positive; the second lowest in the last two weeks and the ninth straight day below 10% positivity of new cases. The daily percent positivity rate in daily reports among new cases has been under 8% six out of the last seven days.

The state saw its highest daily percentage of positive patients July 8, when 18.50 percent of tests reported were positive among 51,686 tests. The overall percent positivity since the beginning of the pandemic in Florida residents is 13.55.

The death toll increased by 119 (117 Florida residents, two non-Florida residents) from Wednesday’s update reported among Lee, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Dade, Duval, Escambia, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jackson, Leon, Manatee, Martin, Nassau, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, Suwannee and Volusia counties.

This does not mean all of the deaths occurred or were reported by local health care facilities on that day but that they were released in the state report that day after reports were processed.

A total of 4,373,944 individuals have been tested: 3,773,926 have tested negative, 6,732 tests were inconclusive and 3,564 tests are pending results. Of those testing positive, 35,977 Florida residents have been hospitalized at some point during their illness according to the state. There have been 10,304 deaths.

The age groups of Florida residents that have yielded the most positive test results are 25-34 years old (19%), followed by 35-44 (16%), 45-54 (16%) and 15-24 (15%).

The highest hospitalization rate is found in patients 65-74 (19%), 75-84 (18%) and 55-64 (18%) years old.

In Lee County, 17,816 (+89) individuals have tested positive as of 11 a.m. Friday; 7,197 in Fort Myers (+25), 4,078 in Cape Coral (+12), 3,566 in Lehigh Acres (+21), 1,154 in Bonita Springs (+12), 660 in North Fort Myers (+2), 411 in Estero (+5), 109 in Alva (+0), 76 on Fort Myers Beach (+0), 41 in Sanibel (+0), 42 in Bokeelia (+2), 27 in St. James City (+0), 18 in Tice (-1), 17 on Matlacha (+0), five in Boca Grande (+0), four in Buckingham (+0) three on Captiva (+0), three in Miromar Lakes (+0), two in San Carlos Park (+0), one in South Fort Myers (+0) one in Babcock Ranch (+0)  and one in Immokalee (+0); 97 cases were not identified by community.

Positive COVID-19 cases in the county have ranged from infants to a 101-year-old. Lee County saw its first two cases on March 7, when a man and a woman, each 77, tested positive. They had traveled to the Dominican Republic.

There have been 397 (+4) deaths in Lee County; 214 (+1) of those deaths were reported in residents or staff of long-term care facilities.

As of Thursday, Lee Health had 132 COVID-19 patients isolated in system inpatient hospitals, including seven new admissions and 12 discharges on Wednesday. 

A total of 2,361 patients who had tested positive have been discharged since the beginning of the pandemic.

As of Friday, Lee Health had 128 COVID-19 patients isolated in system inpatient hospitals, including 13 new admissions and 13 discharges on Thursday. 

A total of 2,374 patients who had tested positive have been discharged since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Thursday, Lee Health had a 12.7% 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.

Census as of Friday was at 85 (-3)% of staffed operational bed capacity, with 11 (+0)% 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 Friday, 67 (-2)% of ventilators and 25 (+5)% of ICU rooms are available for use across Lee Health facilities.

As of Friday, there were 13 (-6) COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 23 (-4) 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.