Nursing homes in Florida this spring saw more COVID-19 cases than the national average, according to AARP.
More than 14% of Florida s nursing homes had new confirmed cases in the four-week period from March 22 to April 18, outpacing the nationwide average of 10%, according to AARP s dashboard tracker of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes.
The data shows there were 243 new cases among nursing home residents and 38 deaths, which is 2% of all deaths statewide from the virus during the four-week period.
That is up from 230 new cases for the four weeks ending March 21 while deaths were higher at 77.
Nearly 50% of nursing homes reported new infections among employees, an 18% increase from the prior four weeks, according to AARP s report, which was released May 17. The number of employees confirmed positive was 627 statewide.
“Vaccination rates among Florida’s long-term care workers remains very low at 38%, said AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson. With new AARP data indicating Florida is trending higher than the national average for new COVID-19 cases in nursing home residents and staff, we must ensure that vaccinations are available and accessible to these individuals as well as minority populations, homebound residents and others who may be marginalized by this process.
AARP’s coronavirus dashboard, which is updated every four weeks, was created using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the AARP Public Policy Institute in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio. The goal is to identify specific areas of concern at the national and state levels in a timely manner.
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