Polk County has three known cases of monkeypox, all reported this month, according to the Florida Department of Health. The virus is spreading globally, and it was declared “a public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization on Saturday.
Category: Health
Posted inHealth
COVID Positive Testing Rate in Polk Climbs to 23%
The proportion of people in Polk County whose COVID-19 tests turn out positive is nearly one in four, which is higher than the state average, Fox 13 News reports. While the prevalent Omicron variants are not as virulent as previous strains, patients say it’s no picnic. Reporter Ken Suarez interviews Lakeland Regional Health’s Dr. Hal […]
Posted inHealth, Neighborhoods
Plans for 541-Bed Hospital in South Lakeland Rile Neighbors
Some residents around Harrell’s Nursery Road off of County Road 540A are having nightmares about screaming ambulance sirens, hovering helicopters and the traffic back-up of nearly 400 cars a hospital shift change could bring.
Posted inHealth
CDC Recommends Indoor Masking in Polk as Infections Rise
Polk is among a growing number of Florida counties where the Centers for Disease Control is recommending indoor masking as the number of infections here has risen steadily from a low of 230 case in the last week of March to 2,116 last week.
Posted inHealth
Polk Doctors Report Unexpected Late-Season Flu Levels
Polk County doctors and health organizations say they are seeing an unexpected and unseasonal rise in flu and other respiratory viruses, News Channel 8 reports. Polk is one of two Florida counties reporting “moderate flu activity” for the last week in April, and patients are having trouble finding Tamiflu, the station reports. Physicians recommend flu […]
Posted inHealth, People
Mask Ruling Puts Federal Judge From Lakeland in National Spotlight
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, a 35-year-old Lakeland native, is in the national spotlight after her ruling struck down the Biden administration’s mandate requiring masks on public transportation, CNN reports. Mizelle, the 2005 valedictorian at Lakeland Christian School, was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida by former President […]
Posted inPeople
Watson Clinic Adds Chiropractic Care to Its List of Services
Watson Clinic is joining a growing number of medical practices that are adding chiropractic care to its list of services. Chiropractor Jalen Banks recently began seeing patients at the Watson Clinic Center for Specialized Rehabilitation on E. County Road 540A and Lakeland Highlands Road.
Posted inHealth
New COVID-19 Infections in Polk Decline to Lowest Levels Since Pandemic’s Early Weeks
Two months after the omicron variant of COVID-19 peaked in Polk County, the rate of new infections has plunged to its lowest level since the early months of the pandemic, according to the latest weekly report from the Florida Department of Health. The testing positivity rate last week was the lowest reported ever.
Posted inHealth, Schools
New Polk Schools Policy Allows Parents to Opt Students Out of Sex Education
Recent changes to Polk Public Schools’ reproductive health curriculum allow parents to opt out of sex education discussions. Parents of high school and middle school students will be notified of sex education topics a week in advance and can opt out under a policy approved unanimously by the Polk School Board on Jan. 25, WUSF […]
Posted inHealth
COVID in Polk: New Infections, Hospitalizations Decline as Deaths Rise
The latest reports tracking COVID-19 in Polk County contain mixed messages: New infections declined for a second straight week after the omicron strain brought record levels. Hospitalizations at Lakeland Regional Health were down slightly Monday from week-ago levels. But deaths in Polk and throughout Florida continue rising.