Gov. Ron DeSantis has made frontline healthcare workers and  individuals 65 years of age and older priorities for the first rounds of the COVID vaccines.
Escambia County has been vaccinating first responders – Escambia County EMTs, paramedics, firefighters and City of Pensacola firefighters. According to PIO Laura Coale, the FDOH Escambia is responsible for handling our elderly population.
“Eric (Interim Public Safety Director Gilmore) has been communicating closely with the state to help implement their plan,” said Coale.”Currently, FDOH is providing vaccinations to long-term care facility residents and staff.”
Readers reported to Inweekly that they were having trouble getting FDOH Escambia to answer their calls. Those who did reach someone were able to schedule appointments for next week.
Later in the day, FDOH Escambia set up an online application form 65 years of age and older to request an appointment to receive the vaccine. Appointment Request form. They will not accept walk-ins or calls made to the FDOH-Escambia appointment line for the COVID-19 vaccine.
DeSantis’s office sent out this message yesterday around 5 p.m.:
“This week, Florida is preparing to receive 127,100 doses of the Moderna vaccine. 93,900 doses of the vaccine will be distributed to the county health departments that have not previously received doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. The remaining 33,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine will be sent to 54 hospitals that had not previously received the COVID-19 vaccine. With these allocations, all 67 Florida counties will have vaccine doses by the end of the week. Find the full list of hospitals that have received the vaccine HERE.”
The COVID testing has dropped dramatically. Only 249 test results were reported for Monday, Dec. 28, of which 51.81% were positive. The county had seven more deaths.