Coronavirus-related hospitalizations in Volusia County and statewide are again beginning to climb, according to state data.
In Volusia County, the number of hospitalizations has spiked sharply. The increase comes weeks after hundreds of thousands of bikers descended on Daytona Beach and the surrounding area during the 10-day Bike Week that ended in mid-March. Among those who attended Bike Week: a maskless Gov. Ron DeSantis, who drank a beer with Bikers on the last Friday of the event.
Few people wore masks during the event, and despite efforts to limit congestion inside businesses on Main Street, bikers partied in crowded quarters. Two weeks after that event, the area saw a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases.
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Most St. Johns County residents who are 65 and older have been vaccinated, but that doesn t mean they should strip off their masks and stop taking precautions, health-care leaders said.
While the vaccine is bringing relief to thousands of people locally, safety measures are still necessary to protect oneself and others after getting vaccinated.
Dr. Nicole Iovine, chief epidemiology officer for the UF Health Shands Hospital system, said people should continue taking normal precautions following their vaccinations for a couple of reasons. We know that the vaccines currently available are highly effective. However, they re not 100%. I mean, nothing is really 100%, right? So there s still 5 or 6% of people who may still develop illness with COVID despite being vaccinated, she said. And for people that might have compromised immune systems, we don t know, but that number might be higher.
As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues in St. Johns County, people are reaching out to residents in underserved areas to educate them as well as assist with vaccinations.
The vaccines are available by appointment with St. Johns County government and certain retail outlets such as Publix, but some people don t have access to technology or transportation, and some have trouble navigating the registration process. Another challenge is that incorrect information about the vaccine has spread fear.
So people are working together in St. Johns County to connect residents with vaccines and correct information so they can make well-informed choices.
One outreach effort happened last week.
The Leapfrog Group is a Washington, D.C.-based national nonprofit organization that’s been issuing letter grades to hospitals based on safety and quality since 2012. The grades are based on a hospital’s performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care. The organization releases grades twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall, and is considered a tougher grader than the federal government, which doesn’t issue failing marks. Flagler Health+ is committed to achieving the highest levels of quality and safety for our patients, visitors and team members, said spokeswoman Gina Mangus in an email. We are extremely proud of our staff and physician partners, particularly this year, who have done an extraordinary job keeping our patients safe amid the unique challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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