After Jacksonville rabies alert, some take issue with Department of Healthโs suggestion to remove stray cats
After the Florida Department of Health issued a rabies alert for people living near UNF and the St. Johns Town Center Mall on Thursday, News4JAX started getting calls and emails from members of the stray cat-caring community.
Duval schools youth risk behavior survey terminated by state
The Commissioner of Education sent a letter to the Duval Schoolsโ Superintendent, Dr. Diana Greene, โstrongly urgingโ that the district needs to end its participation in a CDC youth-risk behavior survey (YRBS) and instead participate in a new one developed by the state.
Federal agencies helping Florida investigate listeria outbreak linked to ice cream
The Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is helping the Florida Department of Health and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services investigate a listeria outbreak linked to ice cream, the FDA said Tuesday.
DeSantis blasts Biden administration, vows to โfight backโ after FDA halts use of Regeneron
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who heavily promoted the use of Regeneronโs monoclonal antibody treatment as a part of his administrationโs COVID-19 response, sharply criticized the Biden administration on Tuesday after the Food and Drug Administration announced it had revoked the treatmentโs emergency use authorization.
School families grapple with soaring COVID cases, suspended contact tracing
When the Florida Department of Health opted to suspend contact tracing in Duval County Public Schools Friday, it left families concerned about the rapid spread of COVID-19โฒs omicron variant confused โ and wondering how to surveil a disease that can be transferred between asymptomatic patients.
Duval schools mask mandate loosened after county meets COVID-19 thresholds
After nearly two months in effect, the mask requirement within Duval County Public Schools was automatically suspended Friday when the COVID-19 community transmission data met the second of two key thresholds set by the school board.
State Board of Education eyes 11 school districts over mask policies
Continuing to pressure school districts over their handling of COVID-19, the State Board of Education has scheduled a meeting next week to look at whether 11 districts have complied with rules aimed at preventing student mask mandates.
Duval County Public Schools ends practice of shifting elementary classrooms online
Declining numbers of COVID-19 cases in Duval County Public Schools combined with new quarantine direction from the Florida Department of Health has led the district to modify practices for elementary classroom closures.
Florida revises COVID-19 rule for schools, gives parents authority over quarantines
Pointing to a need to โminimize the amount of time students are removed from in-person learning,โ the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday issued a revised rule that gives parents more authority to decide whether children go to school after being exposed to people who have COVID-19.
Did Florida change COVID-19 reporting to create โartificial declineโ in recent deaths?
Following a report from the Miami Herald that the Florida Department of Health changed the way it reported death data to the CDC, giving the appearance of a pandemic in decline, Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back Wednesday, calling the story a โtotally false partisan narrative.โ
Duval schools to ditch mask mandate, Duval HomeRoom and desk shields this fall
After getting feedback from community stakeholders and the Florida Department of Health, Duval County Public Schools is ending its mask mandate for students and pulling back on other coronavirus protocols for the 2021-22 school year.
After dozens contract COVID in Florida after vaccination, doctorโs reminder: Goal is to โkeep people out of the hospitalโ
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Theyโre called COVID-19 breakthrough cases: People who have been fully vaccinated yet still contract the virus more than 14 days after their second shot. Dr. Sunil Joshi, president of the Duval County Medical Foundation, compared the COVID-19 vaccine to the flu vaccine. She said she was shocked because she is also fully vaccinated. AdDr. Timothy Hendrix, with Advent Health, also pointed out that it is possible for someone who is fully vaccinated to still contract the virus. โI donโt think the public is aware that it doesnโt mean youโre not getting the virus, and it doesnโt mean youโre not getting sick.
25-44 age group makes up 39% of new COVID-19 cases in Duval County
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Twenty percent of COVID-19 cases in Duval County are in the 25 to 34 age group, according to the Florida Department of Health. Dr. Sunil Joshi, president of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation, said the numbers are high because this age group hasnโt been vaccinated yet and itโs usually the age group to not take as serious of precautions as older people. According to state Department of Health data, the 25 to 44 age range makes up 36% of all Duval County cases. In Duval County, data shows, 39% of new cases are in the 25 to 44 age range. AdIn the 25 to 44 age range, 29 people have died in Duval County, according to FDOH.
Florida adds 3,699 coronavirus cases, 31 deaths
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The Florida Department of Health on Sunday reported 3,699 new cases of the coronavirus and 31 additional deaths related to the virus. The state Department of Health has now reported a total of 1,976,808 COVID-19 cases and 32,860 coronavirus-related deaths since March 2020. Duval County has recorded 90,633 total cases, including 93 cases that were reported Sunday. The statewide positivity rate based on Saturdayโs testing was 5.96%, the health department said Sunday. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia.
Hundreds of Jacksonville seniors still waiting for COVID-19 shots
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ More than 2 million seniors in Florida have been inoculated against COVID-19 so far, but as the state begins to lower age requirements, hundreds of seniors are still being missed in low-income housing. The agency said it vaccinated over 9,000 seniors in two weeks and it planned to wrap up the effort on Friday. State vaccine clinics were held at 10 Duval County HUD apartment complexes as a part of the vaccination effort, according to a Division of Emergency Management spokesperson. โA lot of the clients here either donโt have a way to go and then you got others, I think they are just a little leery of the vaccine,โ Bess said. AdThe Division of Emergency Management has not answered questions about whether it plans to create vaccine clinics at public housing authorities throughout the state.
Florida adds 5,065 COVID-19 cases, 96 deaths
All rights reserved)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The Florida Department of Health on Thursday reported 5,065 new cases of the coronavirus and 96 additional deaths related to the virus. The state Department of Health has now reported a total of 1,962,651 COVID-19 cases and 32,639 coronavirus-related deaths since March 2020. Duval County has recorded 90,227 total cases, including 130 cases that were reported Thursday. The statewide positivity rate based on Wednesdayโs testing was 5.00%, the health department said Thursday. Health department data released Thursday showed that 3,895,656 people in Florida have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot.