Take precautions to avoid another COVID surge after Labor Day weekend

There are signs our surge is starting to level out just as people make plans for big holiday get-togethers.

The medical community is asking everyone to take health precautions during the Labor Day weekend as holiday weekends traditionally mean crowds.

And during the pandemic, holiday weekends can bring surges in COVID-19 cases.

Jaime Crossan-Debres is a mom of two.

“I work with first responders. And I see the strain that it’s putting on our healthcare system and our hospital system and our doctors and our nurses and the families,” Crossan-Debres said. “And that scares me that there’s a surge of that kind really, really pressures our system and it’s, it’s scary and is unnecessary.”

Sarah Miller, visiting from West Virginia said she’s not really worried about it.

“I’m just not really concerned about it. I just pray and keep going about my life,” Miller said.

Kristine Hollingsworth from the Florida Department of Health-Collier County said now is not the time to let your guard down.

“We understand that there is pandemic fatigue,” Hollingsworth said. “We have been doing this for 18 months.”

But she hopes everyone will keep their social distance this weekend, wear a mask, and get vaccinated.

On Friday, NHC Healthcare System reported 81% of its COVID-19 patients are not vaccinated with 75 people in critical care.

Typically the hospital has just 45 critical care beds.

“I don’t expect people to change their lives, and I get it the people want to enjoy, you know, the environment that we have, and we should be able to, but we just have to be respectful of everybody and try to just keep everybody safe,” Crossan-Debres said.