PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A nursing home is implementing face masking and other pandemic-era measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
This comes as a local epidemiologist tells NewsNation affiliate WFLA that data indicates COVID-19 cases are increasing in both Florida and across the country.
Doctors at the Bay Pines VA Community Living Center (CLC) have increased efforts to screen and test for the virus in order to prevent a larger outbreak.
“We have learned that intervening and implementing these measures as soon as possible produces the best results in containing the issue,” said Dr. Amin Elamin, the Chief of Staff for Bay Pines VA Healthcare System.
As a response to a sudden rise in COVID-19 infections at the CLC, protective measures are reinstated for residents, employees, and visitors.
“Our nursing home, our CLC, houses our most vulnerable patients,” Dr. Elamin said. “We closely monitor the situation there.”
Effective Tuesday, all staff and visitors at the CLC are required to wear masks. There is also a limit of two visitors per resident, and outdoor visits are encouraged.
Dr. Salemi explained that the CDC is monitoring the prevalence of the virus in communities through testing wastewater samples. Nine Florida counties, including Hillsborough, are sharing this data.
While the testing does not determine who is infected, it does provide information on whether cases are increasing or decreasing, according to Dr. Salemi.
Dr. Salemi also attributed the increase in COVID-19 cases to summer travel, waning immunity from booster shots or prior infections, and the extreme heat which drives people indoors where the virus spreads more easily, especially in states like Florida.
Data from the Department of Health and Human Services show that over 950 adults are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Florida, marking a 42% increase from seven weeks ago, Dr. Salemi stated.
However, Dr. Salemi emphasized that it is important to consider the context. A year ago, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state was four times higher.