Area residents were able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for the first time on Monday as part of a program rolled out by the Department of Health in Lee County to aid those in the “at-risk” category. On Tuesday, lines of cars waited outside of vaccination locations and all three sites reached capacity at 7 a.m., an hour before they opened. 

Limited doses of the Moderna vaccine are to be administered to residents 65 or older, along with front-line health care workers. According to DOH, 400 people will be vaccinated on select days at various locations on a first-come, first-serve basis throughout the county Dec. 28, 29 and 30. According to county officials, more than 800 vaccines were administered on Tuesday in Bonita Springs, 600 in Lehigh Acres and 600 in Fort Myers. The sites were originally scheduled for morning and afternoon sessions but due to the demand in the morning, the number of vaccinations allocated to the site were assigned and the sites did not be accept anyone else in the afternoon. The sites finished vaccinating those who were in line before capacity was reached and then closed for the day. A potential vaccination reservation system is being looking into by the county, officials announced Tuesday. Dates and times for additional vaccines will “hopefully” come later this week.

On Tuesday, Lee Health President and CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci gave an update on the vaccine. 

“As of today, we’ve received about 10,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines,” he said. “We are ramping up vaccination as quickly as possible, with the goal of immunizing as many as 1,000 employees and physicians each day. As additional doses of the vaccine are received, we will expand immunization to other healthcare workers and work with the Department of Health to provide vaccines to the community.”

On Monday morning, many county leaders discussed the county’s plan of action when it comes to distribution of the vaccine.” 

“I really like to think of (today) as the beginning of the end to this calamity that we’ve all experienced for the last year,” said County Manager Roger Desjarlais. “But it’s going to take a while and we’re going to ask for patience. Even though today is a celebration, we have to remember there are not enough vaccines available for everyone just yet.”

Desjarlais said the distribution schedule is subject to change as “conditions change.” 

“We’re having to ride this bicycle while we build it a little bit,” Desjarlais said. “I think after today we’ll understand a lot more about the necessary logistics and operations that we’ve been working on since (last week).”

Desjarlais understands the demand will be great and asks residents to keep calm and to not arrive at vaccination sites before 8 a.m. He also asked residents to be prepared for long wait times.

“Please don’t,” Desjarlais said of camping out, which county officials doubled-down on Tuesday. “We hate to turn people away. We know people are going to be anxious and it’s only going to ramp up as these vaccinations are becoming available.”

Desjarlais said this has been an “unprecedented, all hands on deck” scenario for the county, with nearly every resource available being put to work. He said the best way to stay up-to-date with current scheduling and procedures is keep in-tune with county announcements via its website and social media. Desjarlais said seven other counties throughout Florida were rolling out similar procedures on Monday as well.

“It’s going to be fluid,” he said. “The times, days and hours could change. We will make sure we will keep you updated as often (as we can).”

When it comes to getting the second dose of vaccine, local health officials will work with individuals to set up appointments to receive their second immunization.

Officials said those who get their first dose should not consider themselves “immune” with their behavior.

“We want to remind people if you’re of the (at-risk) age group and you receive your vaccine, people still need to maintain social distancing (and) maintain the behaviors they’ve grown accustom to,” Desjarlais said.

Antonucci on Tuesday reiterated that message.

“While the vaccine provides hope, we have many months ahead of us before we develop the herd immunity needed to discontinue wearing masks and social distancing,” he said. “Over the Christmas holiday, we saw our largest spike in new hospitalizations in months. The coronavirus continues to spread in our community and COVID-19 threatens the capacity of our hospitals to treat everyone who needs our care, whether that is from COVID or other illness.

“We are starting 2021 with an optimism that was not possible in 2020. Let us all work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to save your health, the health of your family members, and the health of everyone in our community.  It is easy to do. Please remain vigilant in wearing a mask, social distancing and frequently washing your hands. The health of our community is up to you.”

Officials were elated to finally see the day a vaccine was available to local residents come to fruition.

“It’s a great day today. We’re really excited. It’s a celebration,” said Kevin Ruane, Lee County Commissioner for District 1 and board chair. “If you look back nine months ago and you really looked at where we were, and where we are today, it’s really a fabulous day as far as I’m concerned — seeing the progress that we’ve made and seeing the way this administration has rolled this out — and I’m just happy to be part of the celebration.”

District 2 Commissioner and Vice Chair Cecil Pendergrass stated, “We all said for the last year going through this pandemic that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and today there is.”

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office will be working with city police departments to implement security measures at immunization locations. Sheriff Carmine Marceno said LCSO SkyWatch towers would be present to have an “eye in the sky.”

“Our real-time information center is going to work on anything that comes our way that leads us to believe that there might be anything we need to look into,” Marceno said. “Safety and security is most important.”

There is no fee for the vaccine, and no appointment is necessary. The public is asked to bring identification and, if you are a healthcare worker, a copy of your ID badge or a current pay stub. These are not drive-thru sites; all sites are ADA compliant. To expedite the registration process, visit https://www.leegov.com/vaccine to download, print and complete the consent form prior to visiting one of the vaccination sites. The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose vaccine. 

All sites are open from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Vaccination locations include:

Dec. 30: North Fort Myers Recreation Center, 2000 N. Recreation Parkway, North Fort Myers; Lakes Regional Library, 15920 Bypass Road, Fort Myers; Cultural Park Theater, 528 Cultural Park Blvd., Cape Coral

New COVID testing site in Cape Coral

The city of Cape Coral, in partnership with Curative, has announced a new no cost COVID-19 testing walk-up kiosk will begin operating on Jan. 4 at 1020 Cultural Park Blvd. (the parking lot across the street from City Hall). Patients will be able to schedule appointments starting Jan. 2. 

 “Curative is proud to be a crucial resource for the Cape Coral community during this pandemic,” said Fred Turner, CEO and co-founder of Curative, in a release. “Curative’s goal is to make testing more accessible with our easy walk-up kiosk. Our unique, self-collected oral fluid swab COVID-19 PCR test offers a painless, simple option with quick 24 to 48-hour results upon receipt at our labs and no cost to patients.” 

Curative offers oral-fluid swab testing rather than the convential nose swab. According to Curative, the observed and directed self-collected oral fluid swab involves having the person cough first, which releases virus from the upper and lower respiratory tract. The virus is then caught in the saliva. The patient then swabs the inside of their cheeks and the roofs of their mouths. Once complete, the patient seals their test within a secure container and returns it to a medical professional to be administered in the lab. The entire Curative test is done without having to come into close contact with others, therefore eliminating the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) changes.

“Curative is currently contracted to provide service at the Century Link Field testing site and has proven to be an efficient and reliable community partner. We are grateful to be able to work with them to offer additional testing opportunities for the community,” said Cape Coral Fire Chief Ryan W. Lamb in the release. “It will take time before the vaccine is widely available and testing remains an important means of controlling the spread of the virus.”

Testing will be available by walk-up or appointment at 1020 Cultural Park Blvd. Appointments can be scheduled at www.curative.com. Information can also be found on Cape Coral’s COVID-19 website, www.capecoral.net/ covid-19 and at www.capecoralfire.com.

By the Numbers

As of Tuesday afternoon, there are 1,292,252 total cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Florida, an increase of 12,075 since FDOH’s last update Monday.

Test results reported to the Department of Health on Monday, Dec. 28, resulted in a 22.75% positivity rate among 62,303 tests, the highest single day positivity rate since the pandemic began. This is also the fewest number of tests processed by the state in two weeks. Prior to Monday, 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.

Positivity rates in new cases have topped 8% in 20 of the last 22 days. Percent positivity rates in new cases have been over 5% since Oct. 29.

Of those testing positive, 62,999 Florida residents have been hospitalized at some point during their illness according to the state.

The death toll increased by 105 from yesterday’s report, bringing the total number of deaths, both resident and non-resident, to 21,718.

According to the state, hospitalizations in Lee County, and statewide in Florida, make up 5 percent 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 vaccinated as of Tuesday throughout Florida was 146,160 with 2,944 being in Lee County.

In Lee County, 39,679 individuals (+347) 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, when a man and a woman, each 77, tested positive. They had traveled to the Dominican Republic.

There have been 653 deaths in Lee County, an increase of one from yesterday’s report.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Lee Health had 168 COVID-19 patients isolated in system inpatient hospitals, including 23 new admissions and 22 discharges since Monday. Lee Health saw 93 new admissions and 61 discharges over the weekend.

A total of 4,012 patients who had tested positive have been discharged since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Monday, Lee Health had a 30% 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 Tuesday afternoon was at 92% of staffed operational bed capacity, with 12.5% 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, 73% of ventilators and 12% of ICU rooms are available for use across Lee Health facilities.

As of Tuesday, there were 10 (+3) COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 30 (+5) 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.