Lee Health officials on Monday said in Lee County, roughly 64% of vaccine-eligible individuals are fully vaccinated while 24.7% are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Lee Health officials in an email on Monday encouraged the general public to stay up to date on their COVID vaccines.

“Being up to date on your vaccine means receiving all recommended doses of the vaccine, including booster dose(s) when eligible,” said Lee Health spokesperson Jonathon Little. “This differs from being fully vaccinated which means completing the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.”

Since the start of 2022, 110 people have lost their lives from COVID in Lee Health hospitals, and the system has averaged more than 200 COVID patients per day.

“Our community’s low prevalence of being up to date on vaccination contributed to these high occupancy rates and loss of life,” Little said. “By bringing yourself up to date today, if eligible, you are helping keep our community safe and contributing to stopping the further spread of COVID-19.”

By the Numbers

As of Tuesday morning, there were 183 COVID-19 patients isolated at Lee Health inpatient hospitals. Of those patients, two are being treated at Golisano Children’s Hospital.

As of Tuesday morning, hospital census was at 103% of staffed operational bed capacity. 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. Census in the intensive care unit was at 96% of staffed operational bed capacity on Tuesday. There were 27 COVID-19 patients in the ICU.

On Monday, Lee Health emergency departments saw 899 patients.

Officials added that Lee TeleHealth is currently free and an easy alternative to avoid longer than normal wait times at urgent care centers.

Lee Health is making this service free for community members so they can utilize urgent care telehealth services from the comfort of their homes. This option allows anyone with non-life-threatening COVID-19 symptoms to avoid long COVID-19 testing lines, Lee Convenient Care locations and the emergency department. Lee Health emergency departments are not designated COVID-19 testing locations. The normal cost of a visit is $49.

“Lee TeleHealth is an on-demand medical service that connects patients directly with a physician or advanced provider and is available 24/7,” officials said. “All you need to use Lee TeleHealth is a smartphone, tablet or a computer with a webcam.”

To access Lee Telehealth, download the Lee Health app or visit www.LeeTelehealth.org.

–Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj