Friends Share Memories of Teacher, 24, Who Died from COVID

Sep 16, 2021 at 7:58 am News Channel 8

Friends and family are mourning D’Anthony Dorsey, a 24-year-old marine biology teacher who was infected with COVID-19 and spent three weeks on a ventilator before dying Tuesday night, WFLA reports. “He was a good player for us but just, a better human. Just a solid kid,” said Bill Castle, who coached Dorsey when he was a linebacker on the LHS Dreadnaught football team in 2013 and 2014. ““He was a gentle giant whose calm and caring presence was appreciated by everyone on campus,” read a statement from the principal of Auburndale High School, where Dorsey taught. More

Health

New COVID Cases in Polk Decline for a Second Week

Sep 10, 2021 at 6:59 pm

A downturn in new COVID-19 cases in Polk County continued for a second straight week as the Florida Department of Health reported 4,787 new infections here. That’s 1,387 fewer new cases than were reported last week, the largest one-week drop to date. Still, the past week’s total was the sixth highest since the coronavirus crisis started in Polk 18 months ago.

*View a larger, interactive version of this chart*

Health

County Commissioners Will Revise Their Letter on COVID Treatments

Sep 7, 2021 at 6:45 pm The Ledger

Polk County commissioners today decided to reword their letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis about alternative COVID-19 treatments such as ivermectin after getting feedback on the issue in a public meeting today, The Ledger reports. The head of Polk’s health department urged commissioners not to send the letter, saying, “I think you’re sending a message to the public that it’s the Wild West of anything you can get your hands on, take it. That message bothers me as a physician.” | ALSO: News Channel 8

Health

Does Hospital’s Dip in COVID Patients Portend a Peak or a Plateau?

Sep 7, 2021 at 5:32 pm

Michael Spake, LRH vice president — *Michael Spake*

The staff at Lakeland Regional Health is anxiously waiting to see if the past week’s retreat from record high numbers of COVID-19 patients signals a peak in the current surge or just a momentary blip, a hospital vice president told city commissioners this morning. More

Health/ Schools

Dashboard: More Than 11,000 Polk Students Have Quarantined Over 2 Weeks

Sep 4, 2021 at 9:25 am

Polk County Public Schools’ new COVID-19 dashboard shows that 11,163 students and 323 staff have had to quarantine during the last two weeks. Quarantined students without access to digital devices and wifi are having difficulty keeping up with classwork, the head of the teachers’ union tells News Channel 8. | View the dashboard More

Health/ News Roundup

Read It in the Morning Paper: COVID Treatments, Judge’s Memorial

Sep 4, 2021 at 8:31 am The Ledger

REGENERON: Lakeland Regional Health has ramped up the number of monoclonal antibody treatments it can provide. LRH follows the FDA guideline of reserving the treatment for people who have tested positive for COVID-19; the state of Florida’s Regeneron site at Lakes Church also accepts individuals who have been in close contact with a confirmed case. | MORE: LRH info
ALTERNATIVE COVID TREATMENTS are being touted by a majority of Polk County commissioners in a letter to Gov. DeSantis written by Commissioner Neil Combee. Commissioners on Tuesday take a formal vote on the letter, which promotes options such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine that are not approved by the FDA and shunned by pubic health experts. | ALSO: News Channel 8
JUDGE’S MEMORIAL: A public memorial service for the late Judge Oliver Green is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Aerospace Center for Excellence on the SUN ’n FUN Expo Campus.

Health

Weekly COVID Report Shows Signs of a Possible Peak in Polk

Sep 3, 2021 at 7:00 pm

This week’s COVID-19 update from the Florida Department of Health yields hope that the toll of the delta variant may have peaked in Polk County and Florida. During the last week, 6,174 new infections were reported in Polk, a solid drop from last week’s record 7,510 new cases. The testing positivity rate continued its slide for a second week, falling below 20% for the first time in five weeks.

*Check an interactive version of this graphic*

Health

LRH Adds Portable Unit to Expand Morgue Capacity

Sep 2, 2021 at 8:49 am Fox 13 News

With its record COVID-19 patient load, Lakeland Regional Health has brought in a mobile refrigerator cooler as a contingency to expand its morgue capacity, Fox 13 News reports. On Monday, the hospital reported 442 patients with COVID, nearly two-and-a-half times its peak of 180 during the winter surge. LRH has not disclosed how many COVID-related deaths have occurred there. Elsewhere, Advent Health says it has 10 mobile coolers at its Central Florida hospitals, and Sarasota Memorial has also added extra capacity. More

Health/ Schools

Polk Schools Preliminary Data: 1,170 Students, 297 Staff Reported Positive for COVID-19

Aug 28, 2021 at 10:18 am

A preliminary report of COVID-19 cases in Polk public schools released Friday shows that 1,170 students and 297 staff have been reported as positive for the virus since Aug. 2. In addition, 8,228 students and 223 staff have quarantined after exposure to infected individuals. More

Health/ Public Safety

Polk Adds a Record Number of New COVID-19 Infections for a Fifth Straight Week

Aug 27, 2021 at 6:58 pm

Polk County added 7,510 new COVID-19 cases this week, setting a new record for a fifth week in a row, according to the weekly update from the Florida Department of Health. The average positivity rate of tests in Polk dipped to 23.2% this week from last week’s record of 28.9%, but still significantly above the 5% rate desired by public health officials.