FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 27, 2020

Contact: Kelly King
Public Information Officer
Kelly.king@flhealth.gov (850) 447-6002

DOH-CALHOUN/LIBERTY ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL COVID-19 CASES
Blountstown, Fla.— Calhoun County received confirmation of one additional case of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. The person ill with the virus is an 85-year-old female resident of Blountstown and is a contact of a confirmed case. This brings Calhoun County’s total cases to 72.

Liberty County received confirmation of one additional case of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. The case is linked to the Florida Department of Corrections, Liberty Correctional Institution. Liberty County’s total case count is 221.

A total of 789 tests have been processed for Calhoun County from private and public labs with 715 negative results; a 9.1% positivity rate. 85% of all cases in Calhoun County are associated with a long-term care or correctional facility outbreak. However, during the past two weeks only 33% has been associated with a facility outbreak; thus, indicating an increase in community spread.

A total of 2,301 tests have been processed for Liberty County from private and public labs with 2,102 negative results; a 9.5% positivity rate. 98% of all cases in Liberty County are associated with a long-term care or correctional facility outbreak.
The Florida Department of Health in Calhoun and Liberty County (DOH Calhoun/Liberty) is continuing to work closely with patients, close contacts, and health care providers to isolate and monitor persons who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and implement testing where appropriate.

DOH-Calhoun/Liberty is focused on containing the spread of the virus. We are currently distributing 22,000 cloth masks to residents. In addition, DOH-Calhoun/Liberty is testing at least 2% of the population monthly to identify any new cases of COVID-19.
Drive-Thru testing is being provided to the public by DOH-Calhoun/Liberty at the following locations and times. No appointment is necessary.

• Monday, 6/29/20 from 3:00 – 5:30 PM EDT at the Ramsey’s Piggly Wiggly in Bristol
• Tuesday, 6/30/20 from 8:00 – 10:30 AM CDT at the Calhoun County Health Department

Early diagnosis is key to preventing the spread of COVID-19. DOH-Calhoun/Liberty encourages anyone that is sick to stay home and contact your healthcare provider. If you suspect you have been exposed to COVID-19 please contact your local health department for further assessment and guidance. If you are concerned about your status get tested at a testing location near you.
The COVID-19 Dashboard is updated once per day https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/96dd742462124fa0b38ddedb9b25e429/ (Dashboard now breaks down cases by zip code. See data on the bottom center frame)

More information on a case-by-case basis can also be https://floridadisaster.org/globalassets/covid19/dailies/covid-19-data---daily-report-2020-04-19-0937.pdf 

We encourage all Floridians to take the VID-19 Community Action Survey by visiting www.StrongerThanC19.com

For more information

Please visit the Department's dedicated COVID-19 webpage at www.FloridaHealth.gov/COVID-19. This remains the best and most up-to-date resource for information and guidance regarding COVID-19 in Florida.

For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department's dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121 or emailing COVID-19@flhealth.gov. The Call Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. DOH-Calhoun and Liberty is also operating a call center in house and may be reached at 850-674-5645 or 850-643-2415. Please press 1 from the automated menu. The local call center is available from 7:30a.m.-4:00p.m, Monday-Friday.

In addition, please visit https://www.floridahealth.gov/all-county-locations.html to locate and obtain contact information for your local CHD.

The CDC also has a website with information related to COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.