City health leaders reflect on the COVID-19 brand in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A year ago, Duval County reported its first case of COVID-19, changing our lives in a way that many of us never imagined.

City leaders and hospital officials had time on Saturday to reflect on last year.

“You can tell a lot about people reacting to difficulties,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said in a video statement posted on YouTube, marking a year since he signed an emergency order to address COVID-19 in the county. Duval. “These are defining moments for people in the community, and the people of Jacksonville have shown countless times since our founding in 1822 that we are strong, compassionate, bold, and resilient.”

COVID-19 closed beaches, gyms and entertainment venues, shifted children to online learning and left many people without jobs.

To date, more than 90,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Duval County.

“The term for me, which connects the entire period of last year, I think is ‘challenging,'” said Dr. Chirag Patel, chief nurse at UF Health Jacksonville. “Provocative because of the number of cases, the severity of the disease, the high death rate with COVID, which really combine to greatly affect the mental health and well-being of health workers.”

But Patel said the silver line is that health care workers and the scientific community across the country have risen to the challenge.

A year later, cases are declining and more vaccination sites are set up across the city, giving a glimmer of hope.

But the mayor encourages people not to let go until now.

“We are truly a good and compassionate people. A year later, more vaccines become available, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We need to move on, “Curry said. “I encourage everyone to fight to end this pandemic once and for all.”

As we see that light at the end of the tunnel, Patel also encourages people to continue wearing a mask, socially distancing themselves, and washing their hands frequently.

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