Nearly a million COVID-19 tests expired last month in Florida
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Welcome to today's edition of the Florida Coronavirus Watch Newsletter. Let's get you up to speed with the latest news of the day from the USA TODAY Network-Florida.
Here's what's happening across the state
Between 800,000 and 1M COVID-19 tests expired last month in Florida: Last week, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried alleged that Gov. Ron DeSantis stockpiled COVID-19 tests that were "set to expire imminently," despite the high demand for such tests. A state official confirmed it on Thursday during a press conference with DeSantis.
'These lines are insane': All over Florida people are waiting in long lines to get tested for COVID, In Palm Beach people are taking time off from work to wait for two to six hours for a test. The Palm Beach Post has the story for its subscribers.
TMH's COVID-19 hospitalizations are mostly 'incidental': Over half of the patients with COVID at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare were there for different issues and hadn't known there were positive for the virus. Other hospitals such as Health First and Lee Health are starting to once again limit or cancel elective medical procedures as COVID admissions continue to increase.
Here is what three Florida universities are doing to limit COVID-19 spread this spring: Florida law now prohibits mandatory vaccines, masks or quarantining of students or staff who test positive. So what can universities do to slow the spread? Here's what the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and Florida State plan to do. (Short version? Strong recommendations.)
Nursing homes coping with rising infections again: “I'm not aware of another nursing home that has not had positive cases in the last week,” said Matt Thompson, administrator at the Estates at Carpenters, a large facility in North Lakeland. “So, basically, every facility that I'm aware of has had multiple positive cases.”
"Never been busier': Despite the rapid rise in COVID driven by the omicron variant, some restaurants are reporting stronger business than ever. The Fort Myers News-Press has the story for its subscribers.
Fact check: Reports of adverse events due to COVID-19 vaccines are unverified
The claim: 1 million 'COVID-vaccine injuries' are reported in a CDC database
The verdict: Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that 1 million "COVID-vaccine injuries" are reported in a CDC database. As of Dec. 24, there were more than 700,000 reports of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination in the VAERS database. But since those reports are unverified, they are not proof of vaccine injuries or deaths. The CDC says serious adverse events related to the COVID-19 vaccines are rare.
Omicron variant is causing another COVID surge. Here are some helpful links
Because of the COVID case surge — as of Jan. 7, Florida still was No. 4 on a list of states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest — we will include these links in this daily newsletter.
• Is it the flu, a cold, or the omicron variant? How to know, and when to get tested for COVID
• Do COVID-19 boosters protect against omicron? Where and when can I get a booster in Florida?
• This free tool compares the spread of COVID-19 in your area (this story is free to read)
• Symptomatic or not, should you bother getting a COVID-19 test?
• COVID vaccine cocktails: A guide to mixing and matching Pfizer, Moderna, J&J booster shots
• What to know if you're exposed or test positive for coronavirus
Feedback for us? Really, it's welcome
Anything else you want to know? Ask your questions here. And finally, thank you for reading. We appreciate you trusting our statewide journalists to keep you safe and informed. If you are encouraged by our work and want to support your local journalists, please consider subscribing. Know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward this email so they can sign up.
Chris' note of the day: Hi, I'm back! Took some time off to deal with a different medical issue -- my wife's unexpected triple-bypass -- and now I'm ready to get back to the pandemic.
Here's what else is happening with the coronavirus in Florida today.
— C. A. Bridges, cbridges@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Nearly a million COVID-19 tests expired last month in Florida
