Category: Florida

States Search for Ways to Deal With COVID-19 Testing Backlogs

With COVID-19 tests bogged down in backlogs, some states that relied on private laboratories, such as Quest Diagnostics, are trying to adapt as caseloads rise.

‘Please Tell Me My Life Is Worth A LITTLE Of Your Discomfort,’ Nurse Pleads

Health care workers on the front lines of the COVID crisis have spent exhausting months working and self-quarantining off-duty to keep from infecting others, including their families. Encountering people who indignantly refuse face coverings can feel like a slap in the face.

Coronavirus Crisis Disrupts Treatment For Another Epidemic: Addiction

The coronavirus has forced drug rehabilitation centers to scale back operations or temporarily close, leaving people who have another potentially deadly disease — addiction — with fewer opportunities for help.

Health Workers Resort To Etsy, Learning Chinese, Shady Deals To Find Safety Gear

The shortages are so dire that nursing homes and other health centers are going to extraordinary lengths for masks, gowns and essential materials.

Must-Reads Of The Week

KHN executive editor Damon Darlin wades through mounds of health care policy stories — so you don’t have to.

Looking For A Path To Reopen, Employers Weigh COVID Testing Of Workers

As some states begin the delicate task of lifting stay-at-home orders and allowing businesses to reopen, many employers are considering whether their strategy should include wide testing of workers.

Amid Pandemic, FDA Seizes Cheaper Drugs From Canada

Many Americans order drugs from Canada and other countries because they are cheaper, but U.S. authorities appear to be cracking down on the practice.

Retiree-Rich Palm Beach County Leads Florida In COVID-19 Deaths

The coronavirus death toll in Palm Beach County — home to President Donald Trump’s palatial home and club, Mar-a-Lago ― is the highest in Florida, where the large senior population is at risk.

Under Pressure, Florida Governor Finally Orders Residents To Stay Home

Florida joins more than 30 other states and the District of Columbia that have similarly restricted residents and businesses. Florida was the only state with more than 5,000 coronavirus cases that had yet to act.

With Coronavirus Rare In Rural Florida, Experts Dispute Way Forward

At least 30 states have issued statewide stay-at-home orders. Florida, one of the eight states with the highest number of COVID-19 cases recorded so far, is the only one in that group not to have such an order.