Lee Health announces single-day record for COVID-19 deaths
Today, Lee Health announced that 12 patients died from COVID-19 in Lee Health hospitals on Aug. 18, the largest single-day total since the start of the pandemic.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who lost their battle against this devastating disease,” Lee Health Communications Supervisor Jonathon Little stated in a media release. “We are urging our community to take action so more lives are not lost. Get vaccinated, wash your hands, and wear a mask and socially distance when out in public.”
Lee Health currently has 598 COVID patients isolated in its hospitals, which is also a record since the pandemic began. Of those patients, six of them are children under the age of 18.
On Aug. 18, Lee Health had 95 new COVID hospital admissions and 59 COVID discharges.
The current census at Lee Health is at 96 percent of staffed operational bed capacity.
Since the start of the pandemic, Lee Health has lost 810 patients in its care to COVID, including the 12 on Aug. 18. There have been more than 1,000 deaths in Lee County attributed to the coronavirus. The Florida Department of Health stopped providing caseline data on deaths by counties in May.
According to the latest data from the Florida Department of Health, 62 percent of those in Lee County who are 12 or older have been vaccinated. That is slightly below the state average of 65 percent.
There have been an estimated 40,766 deaths in Florida from COVID since the start of the pandemic.
There have been more than 2.87 million cases of COVID confirmed in Florida since the pandemic.
To reach NATHAN MAYBERG / nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com, please email