LEE COUNTY, Fla. — According to new data from the Lee County School District, 14,215 students have opted-out from the district’s mask requirement. That’s just shy of 15% of the student population district-wide.
Superintendent Dr. Ken Savage urged parents upset with the masking policy to reach out to people who can actually change it. He specifically referenced reaching out to Governor Ron DeSantis and local legislators.
“Please do not apply pressure to our principals or to our teachers to do things beyond the scope of what they’re able to do,” said Savage.
Savage...
Of all the ways to curb the spread of COVID-19 in schools, wearing masks has arguably become the most controversial.
We want to make sure this is clear: kids are significantly less likely than adults to get severely sick with COVID-19. They’re even less likely to die from the virus. But, their risk is not zero. As of the writing of this article, Golisano Children’s Hospital is treating 14 children for severe cases of COVID-19. Before this point in the pandemic, doctors tell us they were only treating 1 to 2 children with COVID at a given time.
Experts say there are ways...
FORT MYERS, Fla. / CNN — The United States has recorded more than 40 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with more than 4 million of them reported in the last month, data from Johns Hopkins University show.
It’s worth noting that the count comes with a caveat: Many experts believe the actual number of infections is much higher.
Nevertheless, COVID-19 infections have been on the rise in much of the US since early Summer. The country’s seven-day average of new cases Monday (137,270 daily) was more than four times higher than Labor Day of last year (39,355...
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Making the decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine is confusing and a lot of people have questions about the shot and virus itself.
NBC2 spoke with the Collier County Department of Health to tell you what you need to know in order to stop the spread of misinformation and get you the facts.
Here is our entire interview with Kristine Hollingsworth, a spokesperson for DOH-Collier, so you can read what she has to say:
What are the side effects?
KH: “Side effects are usually mild, as of May 2021, over 1.3 billion COVID vaccines have been administered....
LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno is encouraging employees in the department to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
A letter was sent to staff members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office hours after a second deputy died from complications of COVID-19 in less than a month.
“I do not have to tell each of you that being a law enforcement officer is a dangerous job,” Marceno said in the letter. “With this invisible threat among us, the risks are even greater.”
LCSO announced the death of Deputy Sheriff First Class William Diaz, 29, who died early Tuesday morning.
The...
IMMOKALEE, Fla. – A new monoclonal antibody treatment clinic is opening in Immokalee on Thursday.
The Department of Health said you have to be positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus.
The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Winn Dixie located at 1602 Lake Trafford Road.
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COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Collier County schools are seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases. Right now, Palmetto Ridge and Barron Collier high schools have been hit the hardest, each with 21 cases.
There have been nearly 300 positive cases for CCPS students since school started less than two weeks ago. Cases have been higher at high schools compared to elementary and middle schools.
CCPS works with the Florida Department of Health in Collier County to notify parents of students or individuals on school campuses or in school activities determined to be close contacts. Parents and guardians of students...
HENDRY COUNTY, Fla. – Parents are getting their kids ready for the new school year with pencils, a new backpack, and, now, a COVID-19 vaccine.
With COVID-19 cases on the rise and the spread of the Delta variant, parents in LaBelle were able to get their kids vaccinated before returning to the classroom.
“One of my kids is going to college and plus the new delta [strain] is getting concerning,” Isidra Cardona said. “Schools should take extra precautions. I have a son that has some health issues, he’s 9, and I’m concerned for him.”
Parents like Cardona said it was...
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Options for getting a COVID-19 test in Florida have shifted in recent months but they are still available.
Many pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as local health departments, offer PCR tests by appointment.
Your best bet at receiving a rapid test is getting one over the counter at a pharmacy.
It’s a stark contrast from earlier this year, when thousands of people got rapid test results from sites in southwest Florida, including CenturyLink in Fort Myers and Curative in Cape Coral.
The post COVID-19 tests become harder to find appeared first...
Data per the Florida Department of Health as of Wednesday, April 21. Additional case data compares to the previous update.
TOTAL CASES IN FLORIDA: 2,184,354 (+5,571)TOTAL DEATHS IN FLORIDA: 35,292 (+83)TOTAL IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: 123,920 (+344)
LEE COUNTY – 67,153 (+194) | 946 (-1)COLLIER COUNTY – 34,546 (+99) | 515 (-1)CHARLOTTE COUNTY –12,426 (+35) | 406 (+2)HENDRY COUNTY – 4,608 (+8) | 80 (+0)DESOTO COUNTY – 4,241 (+4) | 91 (+0)GLADES COUNTY – 946 (+4) | 19 (+0)
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