The Florida Times-Union
4:20 p.m. | Only 38% of nursing home workers accepted COVID-19 vaccines, new data shows
While residents of nursing homes and their caregivers have been considered a top priority for COVID-19 vaccination, only 38% of nursing home staff accepted shots when they were offered, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed Monday.
Anecdotal reports have been circulating for weeks that nursing home staff members were turning down vaccination offers, but these are the first national-level figures. These findings show we have a lot of work to do to increase confidence and also really understand the barriers to vaccination amongst this population, said Dr. Radhika Gharpure, lead author of the study and a member of the CDC’s Vaccine Task Force. | Read more
Jacksonville officials will start next week administering the second round of COVID-19 vaccinations to people who received their first dose at a city-run senior center, Mayor Lenny Curry said Thursday.
The new round of vaccinations is scheduled to start Monday, and Curry said people will receive reminder phone calls the day before they’re due for the second shot. People should get the follow-up shots at the same place they received their first vaccination.
The second round is scheduled to be completed after 12 days, mirroring the short window the city was able to operate vaccination centers before exhausting its initial supply.
The Florida Times-Union
3:45 p.m. | Florida COVID-19 cases surpass 1.5 million; 5 new deaths in Northeast Florida
The Florida Department of Health added 161 more deaths in Tuesday s report on the coronavirus pandemic, as the state s cumulative case count surged past the 1.5 million mark.
The statewide death toll increased to 23,585, including 23,227 residents of Florida, with five newly-recorded COVID-19 fatalities in Northeast Florida: two in Duval County, and one each in Baker, Clay and Nassau counties.
In all, the health department has tabulated 1,503,482 positive tests for the novel coronavirus during the past year. Tuesday marked 10 months since the virus began to prompt large-scale closures of venues and events across Northeast Florida, including The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach. | Read more
Hundreds of elderly people were photographed waiting in line for the coronavirus vaccine on scooters and lawn chairs outside two senior citizen centers in Florida on Monday.