Health

During the last week of school (November 13 to November 19), Marion County Public Schools saw the fewest number of COVID-19 cases this school year, continuing a downward trend.

The weekly COVID-19 report shows that the number of new cases in Marion County has plateaued, and vaccinations are on the rise now that children ages 5 to 11 are eligible.

Marion County schools saw COVID-19 cases hold steady during the last week (November 6 to November 12), matching the number of cases from the previous week. Quarantines by students and employees increased by over 35%.

Health officials say COVID-19 cases decreased again last week in Marion County, reporting that over 1,000 residents were vaccinated now that children over 5 are eligible.

After a recent safety evaluation of national hospitals for the fall, one Ocala hospital has received an 'A' grade. An independent national organization assigned safety grades (A, B, C, D, or F) to hospitals across the country based on more than thirty national performance measures such as: errors, injuries, accidents, infections, and the systems those hospitals have in place to prevent harm to patients.

The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for Marion County children between the ages of 5 to 11. Any parents, guardians, or caregivers who are interested in obtaining a vaccination for their children can make an appointment starting this Monday.

Marion County Public Schools reported a small drop in COVID-19 cases during the week of October 30 to November 5, though the number of quarantines doubled. For the last three weeks of school, the number of COVID-19 cases has continued to be under 20.

The latest COVID-19 weekly report (Friday, October 29 to Thursday, November 4) shows another decline in cases and positivity rates. There were 151 positive COVID-19 cases, an average of nearly 22 new cases each day. Positivity rates saw another drop down to 3.3%, making this the third consecutive week that positivity rates have stayed below 5%.

The City of Ocala Water Resources department has rescinded the precautionary boil water advisory which was previously in effect for the 3750 to 4800 block between S Pine Avenue and SE 17th Avenue. The water is now safe for brushing teeth, cooking, drinking, making ice, washing dishes, food preparation, and other normal daily activities.

The Health and Wellness Fair comes to downtown Ocala this Sunday. Vendors will be on site, offering samples of healthy foods, wellness therapies, and natural products, as well as tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle.

City officials have issued a precautionary boil water advisory affecting the 3750 to 4800 block between S Pine Avenue and SE 17th Avenue.

Construction is officially underway for a new AdventHealth care pavilion. It will be located at 3949 SW College Road, which is formerly the site of a BMW, Volkswagen, and Porsche dealership.

A Marion County health official provided an update on COVID-19 cases and trends within Marion County for the week of October 22 to 29.

The weekly COVID-19 report by Marion County Public Schools for the week of Saturday, October 23 to Friday, October 29 was released. The report shows 18 positive cases across the county, and schools reported 57 quarantines by students and employees.

Marion County health officials are reporting the lowest COVID-19 cases and positivity rate across the area since June, when the county experienced a spike in cases.

Beginning November 1, the hours for COVID-19 testing at First Baptist Church of Ocala will change. Free-drive through testing will be offered at the church by CovidTestFL.org, a mobile clinical testing service, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The weekly COVID-19 report released by the district shows that during the week from Saturday, October 16 to Friday, October 22, there were 14 positive cases reported across the county, a 66% decrease from last week’s total.

According to the Florida Department of Health, the COVID-19 weekly report for Friday, October 15, to Thursday, October 21 shows another decrease from previous weeks. This week's total number of cases is around 40% lower than the daily totals the county experienced during the summer spike, when more than 400 cases were reported each day for multiple weeks.