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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Outbreak reported at Okaloosa youth facility, 3 more deaths reported locally

Northwest Florida Daily News - 7/29/2020

Jul. 29--An outbreak of the novel coronavirus has been reported at the Okaloosa Youth Academy, a detention facility that houses middle school and high school age children.

The Department of Juvenile Justice, which oversees the facility, reported Tuesday that 21 staff members and 22 young people had tested positive for COVID-19.

Just five days earlier, on July 23, DJJ reported eight staff members and three youths had tested positive at the Okaloosa Youth Academy.

Three of the staff members who contracted the virus have been medically cleared.

Ray Sansom, who as vice president of administration for the Radar Group oversees education at a handful of Northwest Florida youth detention centers, said correctional facility managers have been battling to prevent outbreaks all summer.

In its report chronicling COVID-19 cases in the 72 facilities across the state, DJJ confirmed 221 staff members and 290 youths had tested positive. Those numbers were up from 180 and 216, respectively, from July 23.

DJJ said 87 staff members had been medically cleared and 82 teens no longer required isolated care.

At other regional juvenile detention facilities, Okaloosa Regional Juvenile Detention Center reported one staff member with COVID-19.

Crestview Youth Academy and Walton Academy for Growth and Change have each reported one staff member infected and since cleared to return to work.

The Okaloosa County Jail reports six staff members and 29 inmates are quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19. Jail Director Eric Esmond said the jail did not have its first positive case until early this month.

Statewide, Florida's daily coronavirus death toll set another new record Tuesday, surging well beyond the 200 mark to 216. The previous daily high for reported deaths was Monday's 186.

Two of those who passed away were Okaloosa County residents, and a third lived in Bay County.

The Okaloosa residents included an 80-year-old woman diagnosed July 19 and a 76-year-old man who had been battling the disease since July 2. The Bay County victim was a 65-year-old man.

The state reported 9,446 new cases. It is the fourth day in a row the number has been below 10,000. However, 582 more people have been admitted to hospitals around the state. Those include six new Okaloosa hospitalizations, five new Santa Rosa hospitalizations and 11 new Bay County hospitalizations.

Okaloosa presently has 59 people hospitalized for COVID-19. Of those, 18 are occupying beds in ICU units, a number that is up four since Tuesday.

There are 61 general population beds available at the county's three acute care hospitals, 21 fewer than Tuesday. There are six open ICU beds countywide, according to a news release published daily by Public Safety Director Patrick Maddox.

Walton County has 12 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The county does not publish available bed space numbers.

STATEWIDE

Total cases: 451,423 +9,446

Total Florida resident deaths: 6,333, +216

Non-resident deaths: 124, +1

Below are the numbers for each county in the Daily News coverage area, plus a city-by-city breakdown of their positive cases.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Total cases: 3,125, +180

Deaths: 22, +0

Hospitalizations: 154, +5

Milton: 1,705, +149

Gulf Breeze: 481, +10

Navarre: 377, +7

Pace: 234, +11

Jay: 85, +0

Pensacola Beach: 5, +0

Bagdad: 5, +1

Missing: 210, +4

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Total cases: 2,577, +95

Deaths: 22, +2

Hospitalizations: 120, +6

Fort Walton Beach: 883, +35

Crestview: 539, +19

Destin: 377, +8

Niceville: 273, +8

Mary Esther: 143, +6

Shalimar: 142, +7

Baker: 52, +4

Valparaiso: 25, +3

Laurel Hill: 23, +0

Eglin AFB: 20, +1

Holt: 17, +1

Milligan, 2, +0

Hurlburt Field: 1, no change

Missing: 53, +5

WALTON COUNTY

Total cases: 1,119, +25

Deaths: 12, +0

Hospitalizations: 55, +1

Santa Rosa Beach: 352, +6

DeFuniak Springs: 346, +6

Freeport: 126, +2

Miramar Beach: 87, +3

Inlet Beach: 28, +0

Paxton, 6, +0

Ponce de Leon: 5, +0

Watersound: 2, +1

Westville: 1

Point Washington: 1

Seacrest: 1

Missing, 37, +0

BAY COUNTY

Total cases: 3,257, +111

Deaths: 19, +1

Hospitalizations: 118, +11

Panama City: 2,262, +74

Panama City Beach: 396, +14

Lynn Haven: 333, +12

Youngstown: 54, + 3

Southport: 52, +0

Fountain: 34, +2

Callaway: 13, +0

Mexico Beach: 10, +2

Tyndall AFB: 7, +0

Parker: 3, +0

Vernon: 3, +0

Inlet Beach: 2, +0

Bayou George: 1

Missing: 23, +2

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(c)2020 the Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.)

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