Lakeland Regional Health’s quest to become a teaching hospital will soon become a reality with the first students expected to start on July 1, 2023, hospital CEO Danielle Drummond announced at today’s Lakeland City Commission meeting. More
COVID 19 in Polk County for the week ending Nov. 4, according to the Florida Department of Health:
The state of Florida shut down its monoclonal antibody treatment center in Lakeland on Friday amid lessened demand for the COVID-19 treatment, News Channel 8 reports. At least 12 of the state’s 25 sites are closing, the station reports. While treatments at the state’s centers are free, patients may face a charge at hospitals or other treatment locations. The closest state centers still open are in Clearwater and St Cloud. | Updated list of state sites More
COVID 19 in Polk County for the week ending Oct. 28, according to the Florida Department of Health:
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least 17 Polk County Public Schools employees this school year; twelve were “active” employees who had returned to work when classes resumed this fall, and five had not returned. School Board member Lynn Wilson tells News Channel 8, “Our hands are tied. The reality is — you can’t enforce a mask policy. I know a lot of folks wanted a mask policy. I think the real key was allowing a virtual option and we couldn’t do that either” because of restrictions imposed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. ALSO: The Ledger | More
With nearly a third of its sworn employees out because of COVID-19 cases or quarantines, the Lakeland Fire Department paused “non-essential duties” and had some firefighters working 48-hour shifts regularly during September, department leaders told city commissioners on Monday. Normal operations resumed Oct. 1, The Ledger reported in a subscribers-only story.
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Polk County dropped for a fifth straight week to 1,455 new cases, nearly the same level as the second week of July, a period when the delta-fueled surge was just starting its rapid ascent.
Polk School Board members heard mixed messages on COVID-19 in local schools when they met Tuesday, The Ledger reports. Infections involving students and staff have steadily decreased during the last three weeks, Superintendent Frederick Heid said. But he and an infectious disease expert expressed worries about the effects of new, laxer state rules regarding quarantines of students exposed to the virus.
Polk County’s COVID-19 numbers are continuing to decline. The 2,413 new infections reported this week represent the lowest number since mid-July, a time when the current surge was beginning to accelerate. Testing positivity was down to 11.4% from a high of 28.9% in mid-August.
Publix pharmacies in Polk and three other Florida counties began providing Pfizer vaccine booster shots today to eligible people: those 65 or older or immunocompromised people who received two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months ago. More
