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 […]
Category: Health
Posted inHealth, Public Safety
COVID Absences Prompted Fire Department to Pause Non-Essential Services for a Month
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. Source: The Ledger
Posted inHealth
COVID in Polk: New Infections, Testing Positivity Continue Declining
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.
Posted inHealth, Schools
As COVID Declines in Polk Schools, Worries Emerge on New Quarantine Rules
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 […]
Posted inHealth
New COVID Infections Continue Declining in Polk
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.
Posted inHealth
Publix, Other Sites Offering Pfizer Vaccine Boosters
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.
Posted inHealth, People
Lakeland Woman’s Invention Helps Families Deal With Grief of Stillbirths
Lakeland Regional Health now has a Caring Cradle, an invention by a Lakeland woman designed to assist families grieving over a stillbirth or the death of a newborn.
Posted inHealth
Lakeland Regional Health Waiting for Guidance on Staff Vaccinations
Lakeland Regional Health is waiting for federal guidelines before figuring out how to ensure hospital employees and associates are vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, as required by an executive order from President Joe Biden.
Posted inActivism, Health
Roger Stone Fires Up Crowd at Rally Opposing Vaccine Mandates
A passionate speech by conservative political consultant Roger Stone fired up a crowd of nearly 250 people at a Lakeland rally supporting the right of health-care workers to reject an employer’s vaccine mandate.
Posted inHealth
New COVID Infections in Polk Decline Sharply for a Third Straight Week
The rate of new COVID-19 cases in Polk County declined steeply this week for a third week in a row, according to the latest update from the Florida Department of Health. For the first time in nearly two months, the number of new infections — 3,233 — is below the previous high of 3,579 last […]