COVID-19 infections rise 77% in Florida long-term care facilities since Thanksgiving

JACKSONVILLE, Florida – As state works to bring COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable residents in long-term care facilities, state health data shows infections among residents are 77% higher on Tuesday than on Thanksgiving Day, when many residents were allowed to return home to reunite with their families.

Like other facilities in the state and county, Jacksonville’s skilled nursing facility Ascension Living St. Catherine Laboure Place has faced epidemics and deaths as a result of COVID-19. As of Tuesday morning, 140 residents and staff were the last in Jacksonville to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Nurse Claire Gino said she received the vaccine to protect herself and the people she serves.

This year, eight residents and one staff member died from COVID-19, state health records show.

Florida health officials continue to focus the first round of vaccines on Florida nursing homes.

Already, Florida Governor Ron Desantis has vaccinated residents and staff of more than 100 long-term care facilities in Broward and Pinellas counties, some of the hardest hit areas.

Receptionist Angela Smith was vaccinated at River City Rehabilitation, along with her 86-year-old mother, on Friday. Smith joined the nursing home staff during the pandemic to stay close to his mother.

“It’s better than prevention than cure,” said Angela Smith.

Deaths are also increasing.

Deaths in Florida retirement homes doubled during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to statistics collected by the AARP. But Florida’s rate was significantly lower than the national average, as COVID-19 infections across the country increased.

Yet the rise in the death toll has raised concern among advocates who are also concerned about Christmas rallies and other year-end celebrations.

In the three weeks straddling the Thanksgiving holiday, the nursing home death rate in Florida was 4.7 per 1,000 residents – more than double the average of 2.3 deaths recorded in the four weeks before the holidays. The data was in part taken from statistics generated by the Centers for Disease Control. Nationally, the death rate during the holiday season was 15.3 deaths per 1,000.

Jacksonville’s River City Rehabilitation Center on Friday became the first in the state to immunize seniors and staff under the CDC’s Pharmacy Partner Program.

Heartland Healthcare System officials said their South Jacksonville and Orange Park facilities will be the next to be vaccinated on Wednesday via CVS.

“Currently, in Orange Park, we have 51 residents and 14 employees who are going to receive the injection. And at South Jack’s, we have 45 staff and 63 residents. And they can continue, as I said, to register as well, ”said spokesperson Susan Williamson.

Heartland Healthcare’s director of market development for facilities, Jennifer Lanthorn, said that unlike the flu vaccine, the organization will not require staff to be vaccinated.

“Because the COVID vaccine has only been approved for emergency use, we really don’t have the capacity to apply it to the level that we generally could as an employer,” Lanthorn said. “We strongly encourage it. We hope we lead by example. This vaccine, we think, gives us hope and an opportunity, we can start to allow more interaction, more family visits, more activities in the facilities here. There is no community restaurant at the moment. There are no group activities.

Signature Healthcare of South Jacksonville is one of many long-term care facilities in Florida to have dealt with COVID-19 outbreaks this year.

The facility is expected to begin its first of several rounds of immunization clinics on Wednesday. Next week, Brooks Rehab is also expected to get the shot.