Pinellas County hopes dedicated COVID-19 nursing homes help slow spread among elderly

SEMINOLE, Fla. - The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Pinellas County continues to trend downward, however, the county also continues to struggle to get the virus' spread under control in nursing home patients. 

The number of cases in long-term care facilities has concerned health officials since April and, four months later, continues to grab statewide attention. The death rate in Pinellas County stands at 2.9%, according to Dr. Ulyee Choe, the county's director of public health.  

Pinellas County now has two super-skilled nursing home facilities that are dedicated to COVID-19 patients. The idea is to get those with the virus out of the other nursing homes and hopefully stop the spread.  

“Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas,” said Dr. Angus Jameson, the medical director for Pinellas County Emergency Services. “This should be a call to the community to do what you can to protect those folks knowing that we have a disproportionately high number of [elderly] in our community.” 

Pinellas County's seven-day rolling average of positive cases is 4.9%.