AdventHealth COVID-19 update — July 21, 2021

AdventHealth has seen a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases at its facilities across West Florida in recent weeks. We have seen an increase in COVID hospitalizations in AdventHealth hospital locations in Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Marion, Pasco, and Pinellas counties but we still have fewer COVID patients compared to the peak in 2020.

• At this time, AdventHealth West Florida Division hospital locations have sufficient capacity to care for patients, including those with COVID-19. The Delta variant is the most prominent strain we are seeing in our system.
• Our hospitals are designed to create flexible and expandable spaces for patient care.
• Some 94% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 across our nationwide system are unvaccinated.
• We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, which is the most effective way to prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19 as well as prevent new variants of the virus from spreading.
• AdventHealth also is offering COVID vaccines to inpatients at its hospitals throughout the West Florida Division.
• We have sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and specialized equipment available to quickly and safely convert existing spaces in the hospital into standard patient rooms or ICU/critical care rooms, should they be needed due to increased demand.
• The planning and protocols we put in place in 2020, including strict safety guidelines, quarantining of COVID-19 patients in designated units and care areas, and enhanced cleaning and infection control measures, has enabled us to continue providing high-quality care for our patients.
• At this time, there are no changes to the visitor policy at AdventHealth West Florida Division hospital locations. We continue to require anyone entering our facilities to wear a mask and adhere to CDC guidelines for safety.