Health First Providing Associates PPE, Remote Working Where Practicable and Implementing Social Distancing

Safer-at-Home Order, Social Distancing Critical to Combating COVID-19

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Health First’s goal is to keep Brevard well. We are maintaining our associates’ health by providing PPE, remote working where practicable and implementing social distancing.

Recognizing 25 percent of persons with COVID-19 can be a-symptomatic, we have reviewed our COVID-19 test kit inventory and analyzed Brevard County’s projected needs along with our expected supplies.

We have reserved enough kits to offer our customer-facing clinical associates voluntary free testing beginning this Wednesday.

We do not have enough reserve testing kits for all associates but are creating a tiered system to test as many as possible. Health First Senior Executives are not eligible.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ statewide Safer-at-Home order, requiring Floridians to limit travel except for essential services, is crucially important to protect families across the state, including here in Brevard County.

Here is a quick primer on why social distancing is so important.

Social distancing means keeping physical space between you and others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends staying at least 6 feet away from others and never gathering in crowds of 10 or more.

Social distancing makes it harder for COVID-19 to transmit because the virus spreads through person-to-person contact. The United States could see the world’s worst outbreak of COVID-19.

State actions to mandate social distancing are crucial to slowing the virus’s spread and flattening the curve.

Some studies predict Florida’s COVID-19 surge could come May 3, meaning we must seriously adhere to social distancing so hospitals can manage the flow of new patients.

Brevard County ranked ninth nationally in counties where people traveled the last week of March – it is imperative that folks stay at home unless absolutely necessary.

Social distancing must be taken seriously by all Brevard residents, no matter your age or health. New CDC guidance points to growing evidence that even healthy people can be carriers.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield estimated 25% of people exposed and infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, meaning they have the virus but do not show any of the signs or symptoms, such as coughing, fever or shortness of breath.

It is imperative that we act as though everyone, including ourselves, has this highly contagious disease. It is not just the elderly and infirm who are vulnerable to COVID-19; 20% of reported cases are of individuals aged 20-44.

New data from Kinsa Health suggests stay-at-home orders are working across the country to lower fever levels, one key sign of coronavirus infections. This includes in Miami-Dade County, which instituted a Safer-at-Home order in March.

Health First is prepared with ventilators, beds, personal protective equipment and staff to treat patients with COVID-19, and we are constantly evaluating resources and receiving additional supplies as the list of confirmed cases grows.

However, it is incumbent upon all of us as a community to practice responsible social distancing. By working together to practice social distancing, we can stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of Brevard families.

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