Northeast Florida’s six county area is considered a CDC hotspot, which is an area where the COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly.
The more transmissible Delta variant is taking hold in low vaccination rate counties like Baker, which saw a 267% increase in cases over the last two weeks.
UF Health Jacksonville Director of Infection Prevention Chad Neilsen said Wednesday on First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross that his hospital’s COVID-19 ward is seeing a 10 to 15% rise in admissions per day.
Neilsen added it’s the unvaccinated who are showing up in emergency rooms: “Our hospital at the northside of town near the airport is filled with patients from northeast Florida, particularly around the Florida-Georgia line because these are low-vaccine counties and they’re just pouring into our hospitals.”
Northeast Florida hospitals are working as a coalition to seek federal grant funding to urge vaccinations in the area.
The full interview with Neilsen on can be heard tonight at 8 on the encore of First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross.
Michelle Corum can be reached at mcorum@wjct.org, 904-358-6308 or on Twitter at @MCorumonME.
