For those who live in the Keys it appears that we are dependent upon those up in the states to decide when we get vaccinated. We have vaccinated many hospital staff nursing home patients but not all. The vaccine just isn't coming. The word is always that we will be able to apply for out vaccinations "near the end of the week". We must find and buy a newspaper or subscribe online to get information. Here is the latest.
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COVID vaccinations still limited in Florida Keys
Florida Department of Health representatives in Monroe County are continuing to remind residents that “COVID-19 vaccine supply is currently limited.”
The distribution of vaccines is determined not only by what the federal government sends to Florida, but also by what the State of Florida sends to each county. The local offices of the Health Department and local county officials do not have the ability to control the amount of vaccines that are received, according to the health department.
Last week, the Health Department itself had received 800 doses of the Moderna vaccine. As of Tuesday, 418 Monroe County residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Alison Morales Kerr, spokeswoman for the Florida Keys offices of the Health Department.
These individuals include health care personnel with direct patient contact, EMS, firefighters, long-term care facility residents and staff, and special needs persons older than the age of 65, Kerr stated in a press release issued Tuesday.
Baptist Health South Florida, the owners of Mariners Hospital in Tavernier and Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon, has vaccinated approximately 8,200 frontline healthcare workers. This includes those working at Fishermen’s Community Hospital and Mariners Hospital, Baptist Health South Florida spokeswoman Victoria Verdeja said.
“Our first priority is to continue the administration of vaccinations, including the mandatory second dose, to our frontline workers to provide for their safety and strive to have the workforce we need to care for our patients,” Verdeja said. Simultaneously, based on vaccine availability, we are also making plans to offer the vaccine to eligible, high-risk members of the Baptist Health community, patients who meet criteria and also to the community at large in the coming days. In line with the Governor’s executive order to vaccinate as many eligible people as possible, as quickly as possible, we are beginning to reach out to groups who are known to us to provide the vaccine.”
These groups include, community physicians who may not have access to the vaccine, staff who support medical practices and meet criteria to receive the vaccine, employees who are 65 years old or above, or who have other extreme vulnerabilities and patients who are at high-risk for developing severe illness from COVID-19, such as patients with cancer at Miami Cancer Institute and Lynn Cancer Institute, Verdeja said.
Last week, Lower Keys Medical Center received an initial allotment of 300 doses of Moderna vaccine for front line, direct care personnel and medical staff, according to Lynn Corbett-Winn, director of marketing for Lower Keys Medical Center. Vaccinations began last week and are scheduled into this week, prioritizing the most at-risk staff, including those who care for COVID-19 patients, Corbett-Winn said.
With the limited number of vaccines available to the county, the department continues to vaccinate those high-risk populations, according to Kerr The department has also asked all health care providers to register on Florida Shots to assist in the vaccination efforts in Monroe County.
When additional vaccines arrive in Monroe County, additional populations will be immunized. Persons older than 65 will be able to register to receive their vaccine via a website, or by calling a phone number, both of which are on hold at this time, but will be available by the end of this week.
“With time, there will be enough vaccines to inoculate everyone. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we face this unprecedented health crisis at hand,” said Bob Eadie, Administrator and Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County.
Islamorada government officials closed Village Hall to the public for the next two weeks after four employees who work on the second floor of the building tested positive for COVID-19, according to to the Islamorada Village officials
The Islamorada Administrative Center is closed to the public through Jan. 19 as a coronavirus-related precaution. The door to the building is locked and customers may no longer drop off paperwork in the lobbies, the village stated in a press release on Monday.
“The closure of the Administrative Center is deemed necessary as Islamorada acts to protect the health of residents, customers, and staff following confirmed exposure of staff who work in Village Hall to the coronavirus during the holiday season. There are no new restrictions on the use of Village parks or other Village facilities.”
Village staff will be completing work remotely as possible while a limited number of staff will be working in the Administrative Center. The Building Department is closed for permitting, plan review and inspections. During this time, hard-copy permits will not be accepted. Electronic plans review and building permit applications will be processed, reviewed, and issued through the city’s web portal, Islamorada officials said.
Since last Wednesday Dec. 30, 175 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Monroe County, including 65 more in Key West, 29 more in Key Largo, nine more in Marathon, five more in Tavernier; four more in Islamorada, nine more in Summerland Key and seven more in Big Pine Key and one more each in Sugarloaf and Ramrod Key, according to the Health Department.
All total there have been 4,372 COVID-19 cases reported in the Keys, according to the Health Department.
For information on vaccinations and the Health Department, visit
http://www.monroe.flhealth.gov/covid19 for updates or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-779-6121. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines in Florida, visit
COVID-19 Vaccines in Florida | Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Outbreak.
The vaccine distribution plan is available online at
https://www.flgov.com/2020/12/10/gov...bution-plan-2/.
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