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DOH-Walton Updates Positive Cases of COVID-19 07-10-20

By Patricia Roberts

July 11, 2020

July 10, 2020
DOH-WALTON UPDATES POSITIVE CASES OF
COVID-19
Contact:
Patti Roberts, PIO
Patricia.Roberts@flhealth.gov
Office: 850-401-6353
DeFuniak Springs, Fla. –The Florida Department of Health in Walton County is working closely
with all individuals, their close contacts, and healthcare providers to determine what additional
COVID-19 testing may be required. We are also coordinating with local and state officials to
ensure proper precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. DOH Walton
stresses the importance of following the local, state, federal and CDC guidelines and practicing
social distancing to protect those that are most at risk.
Governor DeSantis issued Executive
Order 20-83, directing the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer to issue a public
health advisory to all persons over 65 years of age urging them to stay home and to take such
other measures as necessary to limit their risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Demographic information on cases due to ongoing epidemiological
investigations,
are provisional and subject to change: Walton County total
cases(484) new cases today (50): Municipalities include DeFuniak Springs (193),
Freeport (37), Gaskin (1), Laurel Hill-Paxton (1), Miramar Beach (34), Santa Rosa
Beach (147), Ponce de Leon (7), Westville (1), Panama City Beach (1), Inlet Beach
(12), Destin (1), Watersound (1) and Out-of-state tested in Walton County (48). Male
(245) and Female (239). Today’s community median age (excluding jail cases) 43,
age range 13-83.
Current Hospitalizations (3). There have been nine local deaths with confirmed
COVID-19.
Included in total cases is 38 Walton County jail inmates located in DeFuniak
Springs which are listed as DeFuniak Springs cases.
The daily COVID-19 report also includes information from the Agency for Health Care
Administration, by county about cases and deaths related to staff or residents in longterm care facilities. There have been 64 residents and/or staff that have tested positive
for COVID-19 in one Long Term Care Facility in Walton County. This report is also
available at
FloridaHealthCOVID19.gov.
Effective July 2, 2020, COVID-19 confirmed through antigen testing are included in
overall case counts. Antigen tests are a new way to check for active COVID-19
infection at the time of your appointment.
DOH Walton/Walton Community Health Center is conducting free COVID 19 testing
in Santa Rosa Beach, DeFuniak Springs and Paxton by appointment only. Call 850-
401-6453 for more information and to schedule an appointment. Antibody tests are
not available.
The Joint Information Center on COVID-19 for the State of Florida is also issuing regular updates
daily. Updated information can also be found at
https://walton.floridahealth.gov/,
www.floridahealth.gov and www.cdc.gov or you can call the COVID-19 Call Center (866) 779-
6121 24/7 or email
COVID-19@flhealth.gov. The Florida Department of Health has launched a
COVID-19 dashboard that will be updated daily with specific County information more
information on daily case by case can be found on daily report
https://floridadisaster.org/covid19/. Expansion to private laboratories has changed the COVID-19
testing landscape in Florida. Private laboratories are running tests as they receive swab samples

from practitioners. Testing and reporting times vary among commercial and DOH laboratories.
Demographic information may be updated during epidemiological investigations. These daily
reports reflect the state’s efforts to accurately and transparently share information.
DOH-Walton has also initiated the use of Nextdoor application for Public Agencies, to
share information with Walton County residents. For more information and/or to sign up
visit Nextdoor.com.
Testing and Epidemiological Investigation Process/Contact Tracing
If a person thinks they have COVID-19, they should call their health care provider
before going to their office so the provider can take precautions to prevent
exposing other people.
Review your signs, symptoms and travel history with your
physician. If you are without health insurance or a health care provider, please contact the
Walton County Health Department at
(850) 401-6453 so we can coordinate your medical
evaluation and testing. Once you have been tested for COVID-19, self-isolate for 14 days
or until you receive the results from your test and further guidance from your health care
provider.
Most people with confirmed COVID-19 infection reportedly have mild to moderate
respiratory illness and can be managed at home in coordination with your provider and
your local health department. Persons with severe illness may be hospitalized. Contact
tracing as part of the epidemiological investigation process is done for many diseases
including tuberculosis, vaccine preventable diseases like measles and pertussis, sexually
transmitted diseases and now COVID-19. Contacts of a case of COVID-19 are placed in
self-isolation for 14 days from their last date of exposure. These individuals monitor
themselves for symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath. Public Health personnel
stay in touch with the contact throughout the entire isolation process. DOH-Walton
provides the individual with a phone number to call if they think they are getting sick. If a
contact gets sick with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, that person will be tested. If
that person comes back positive for COVID-19, then contact tracing begins again. If the
contact of a COVID-19 case completes the 14-day isolation period without illness, they
are cleared to return to their daily activities.
What you can do to protect you and your family at home
Continue to practice good hand washing. Cover coughs and sneezes. Stay home from
work if you are sick and keep children home from school whensick.
Remind family members not to touch theirfaces.
Disinfect frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, tables and handrails.
Open windows or adjust air conditioning to increaseventilation.
Treat vulnerable family members, such as those over the age of 65 or with chronic medical
conditions, as though others are a threat to them. Practice good hygiene when caring for
them. If they are sick, provide them with their own room, and keep the door closed.
What you can do at work
Good hand hygiene is as important at work as it is at home. Encourage
employees to clean hands at the door and send email reminders to clean
hands throughout the day.
Stop shaking hands. Use other, non-contact methods of greeting customers and
coworkers.
Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
Open windows or adjust air conditioning to increaseventilation.
Consider videoconferencing for meetings whenever possible. When not
possible, hold meetings in open, well-ventilatedspaces.

Assess the risks of business travel.
Handle food carefully and limit food sharing.
Ensure cafeteria staff and their close contacts practice stricthygiene.
Allow employees to stay home if they are sick or have a sick familymember.
Businesses
Encourage employees and customers to:
Stop shaking hands. Use non-contact methods ofgreeting.
Clean hands at the door and send employees email reminders to clean hands
throughout the day.
Promote tap and pay to limit handling ofcash.
Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
Open windows or adjust air conditioning to increaseventilation.
Avoid crowding by booking appointments to stagger customer flow.
Consider wearing a face covering
CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing
measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of
significant community-based transmission,” writes the CDC.
Cloth face coverings can help prevent those who may have COVID-19 and not know it from
spreading the virus to those around them.
“Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at
low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure,” writes the CDC. “The cloth
face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical
supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first
responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
Public Transportation Businesses
Open windows whenever possible.
Increase ventilation.
Disinfect surfaces regularly.
###
To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, please visit the
Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage at
https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/
and COVID-19 dashboard.
For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), please visit the CDC
COVID-19 website at
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State,
please visit the travel advisory website at
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html/.
For other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department's dedicated

COVID-19 Call Center at 866-779-6121. The line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
About the Florida Department of Health
The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect,
promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and
community efforts.
Follow us on
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the Florida Department of Health please visit
www.FloridaHealth.gov.
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