Florida Trending Higher Than National Average for New Cases of COVID-19 Among Nursing Home Residents and Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 17, 2021

CONTACT:
Jamie Champion Mongiovi, AARP Florida
(850) 559-0883, jchampion@aarp.org 

Vaccination of vulnerable populations remains essential

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. – The latest release of AARP's Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard shows that Florida is trending higher than the national average for new reported cases of COVID-19. This newest report marks nearly one year of data tracking that AARP has released from June 1, 2020, through April 18, 2021.

AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson said, “Vaccination rates among Florida’s long-term care workers remains very low at 38%. With new AARP data indicating Florida is trending higher than the national average for new COVID-19 cases in nursing home residents and staff, we must ensure that vaccinations are available and accessible to these individuals as well as minority populations, homebound residents and others who may be marginalized by this process.

“We have more work to do. It’s time to buckle down and remain focused on beating the virus to avoid further increases in new cases. AARP urges Floridians to adhere to local guidance regarding COVID-19 and explore their options to become vaccinated. We have up-to-date resources available to you, simply visit www.aarp.org/flvaccine.”

The latest Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard data shows new infections among staff and residents are on the rise. More than 14% of Florida’s nursing homes had new confirmed resident cases in the last four weeks, higher than the national average of 10%, while nearly 50% of nursing homes reported new staff cases in the same time period, an 18% increase since the last dashboard report. Approximately 22% of Florida’s nursing homes continue to suffer from staffing shortages, up from 18% in the previous time period.

Using data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services—which is self-reported by nursing homes—the AARP Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, created the AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard to provide four-week snapshots of the virus' infiltration into nursing homes and impact on nursing home residents and staff. The dashboard will continue to be updated every four weeks. The complete dashboard is available at aarp.org/nursinghomedashboard.

The federal data do not include coronavirus cases among residents or staff of assisted-living facilities, group homes and other congregate elder-care facilities. That data is included in Florida government statistics.

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AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.