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ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health reported Saturday more than 12,000 new COVID-19 infections when testing its new telephone vaccine appointment system.
The FDOH launched a pilot program of the system in an effort to support local counties with high demand for coronavirus vaccines. This is a system that the Ron DeSantis government had been insinuating for the past few weeks as it crosses the state extending Pubix’s vaccination program, saying the hotline is part of the state’s strategy to put “the elderly first.”
According to the Broward health department tweet, people 65 and older, along with front-line health workers, can call (866) 201-6313 to request an appointment. People with hearing impairments can call (833) 476-1526.
News 6 called the number to see how the hotline works.
The system offers addresses in English and Spanish. An automated voice asks the caller a series of questions to check if they meet the requirements and asks if they are health workers or over 65 years old.
People are also asked to enter their date of birth, phone number, and zip code so that the hotline can help connect the caller to a nearby vaccination site. If no vaccine is available, the automatic voice says it will call the number entered when vaccine is available in the caller’s area.
State officials said a phone system was more suitable for seniors, who might be less accustomed to web-based technology and might need more assistance.
As the hotline continues to roll out, Florida is working to make sure vaccines are for residents only.
In a two-page advisory signed by Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, the state Department of Health noted that “the vaccine remains scarce with the United States and vaccine availability in Florida is extremely limited.”
As a result, Rivkees issued public health advice addressing “the prioritization of Floridians for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida.”
This means that vaccine providers must confirm whether a vaccine beneficiary is a permanent or seasonal resident by providing a driver’s license or a host of other documents, including leases and utility bills. , as explained by the state Department of Health.
Click here to see if it is suitable for a vaccine in Florida.
[READ YESTERDAY’S REPORT: Virus death toll surpasses 25,000 amid Florida’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccine system]
Cases
The Florida Department of Health reported 12,157 new cases on Saturday, the state’s overall total 1,639,914 cases since the coronavirus pandemic began in March.
Deaths
Florida reported On Saturday, 156 new virus-related deaths bring the death toll to 25,561. This number includes 397 non-residents who died in Florida.
Hospitalizations
As of Saturday afternoon, there were currently 6,698 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state health care administration agency.
Since March, 70,002 people have been hospitalized in Florida after complications of COVID-19. This number includes the 267 new ones patients who have recently been hospitalized because of the virus, according to the health department’s daily report released Friday.
Positivity rate
The percentage of positive results was 6.54% on Saturday, a significant drop from the previous day.
Health officials say the rate should be kept between 5% and 10% to show that a community has the virus and is curbing infections.
Vaccines
Recently, the Florida Department of Health began publishing a daily report on COVID-19 vaccines administered statewide.
As of Saturday, 1,389,149 people have been vaccinated in Florida. The FDOH also reports that 139,345 people have received their second shot.
The state originally reported how many people had won the second vaccination, but has since removed that data point.
[Register for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida here]
| county | Cases | New cases | Hospitalizations | New hospitalizations | Deaths | New deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard | 27,542 | 297 | 1,695 | 10 | 609 | 6 |
| Flagler | 4,940 | 35 | 281 | 0 | 60 | -1 |
| lake | 20,470 | 174 | 1,088 | 1 | 386 | -6 |
| Marion | 23,209 | 159 | 1,503 | 14 | 562 | 2 |
| orange | 97,842 | 994 | 2,158 | 9 | 893 | 0 |
| Osceola | 32,033 | 299 | 1,168 | 3 | 334 | 1 |
| Polk | 47,795 | 541 | 3,680 | 15 | 928 | 8 |
| Seminol | 22,928 | 171 | 1,013 | 10 | 353 | 0 |
| Sumter | 6,706 | 60 | 434 | 1 | 169 | -1 |
| Volusia | 29,051 | 201 | 1,442 | 3 | 492 | 0 |
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