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Northeast Florida Is CDC Hotspot For Coronavirus As Delta Variant Spreads

Trisnadi
/
Associated Press

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.

Michelle Corum joined WJCT as "Morning Edition" host in 2012 and has worked in public broadcasting as an announcer and reporter for public radio stations in Lawrence, Kansas, and Interlochen, Michigan. She also manages WJCT's Radio Reading Service for sight-impaired listeners.