November 16 update: 67 new positive tests, no deaths
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
According to the state dashboard, Alachua County reported an increase of 67 positive COVID-19 tests, with an official test positivity rate of 8.57%. No new deaths were reported.
Of the people whose positive tests came back yesterday, 8 were 65 or older.
A total of 87 deaths have been reported in the county, 34 of which were in long-term care.
The overall number of people (from all counties) hospitalized here for COVID-19 increased from 72 to 83.
State COVID-19 hospitalizations increased to 3,243 today.
The state reported 4,663 new positive tests (official positivity rate of 7.95%) and a net increase of 41 deaths, 13 of which were from long-term care facilities.
Changes in the number of deaths were reported on 19 different dates, going back to October 16. Changes by month: October (+24), November (+17)
The peaks are on July 30 (235) and August 4 (237), and the 7-day moving average peak is August 5 (225).
The 7-day average plateau between July 25 and August 7 has been stable since I started reporting the peaks on August 27.
Here is the full chart for context:
The state also publishes a chart of the percentage of new tests that are positive by day (this chart is for the whole state), and the official positive rate yesterday was 7.95%.
In Alachua County, the official positivity rate was 8.57%.
This chart shows the number of negative tests reported in Alachua County by day:
The 7-day moving average of new cases is at 75.6 through yesterday’s cases. Here is the 7-day average of new cases for the past 14 days:
To save our targeted businesses in Alachua County, State of Florida and Nation, Covid is the enemy as proposed by the left side of a divided nation.
Let’s consider this;
Employers I know do Temp checks for employees
Medical facilities do Temp checks upon entering
Can businesses be provided these devices?
Can businesses be provided other materials?
We all know that we will have moved to a new existence in close encounter areas. We can stop flu, common cold and other transmissions by changing.
Yet we must retain our freedom to live life without restrictions beyond common law.
Where are we going?
After talking to friends in the restaurant business, and with the possibility of shutting down again, the best approach now is to offer ways to have them stay open.
What can we purpose without accepting the incorrect data that we have already experienced from reporting at local, state and biased media data?
We need to go back to being proactive rather than reactive. So, in our county, they will be restrictive. We can use or basis to requests these:
1. Use county Covid funds to provide immediate compensation for business that serve the public in the food and beverage services to acquire more complimentary masks and hand sanitizing
2. Also use Covid funds to provide digital temperature test equipment for both employees and customers
3. Remain requirements to have face masks upon entering and using the facilities
4. Continue the social distancing as is now
5. Require that employee temp records are kept
6. As is done at many health care facilities, test customers for temp at entry and even use a arm band to record the temp and attach
We all know that these are less problematic to accommodate compared to closing down.