COVID-19 infections impacting vaccinated areas in Florida

COVID-19 infections are hitting vaccinated and unvaccinated parts of Florida hard.

Some of the hardest-hit areas right now are some of the most vaccinated. Out of nearly 21 million people in Florida, 67.1% are fully vaccinated, and the current 7-day average for COVID-19 infection is slightly over 4,000.

Dr. Antonio Gonzalez, the medical director of the Community Medical Center of Immokalee, hasn’t seen a COVID-19 patient at his practice in Immokalee in 2 months. It may not be a big deal to everyone, but he’s excited to see progress, though Gonzalez is worried the cases could spike again.

Gonzalez reminds people that no vaccine is 100% effective and the COVID-19 vaccine is no different. He says it won’t guarantee that you don’t get the virus, but it could prevent the worst consequences.

“The good thing about this is people who are fully vaccinated and they get the breakthrough infections they have less serious symptoms,” Gonzalez says. “They have [a] less serious illness, less possibility of hospitalization and death.”

Gonzalez says he believes in the vaccine and thinks people, including kids, should still get the shot in the arm, but says we need to focus on the basics to help avoid another spike.

“You don’t see people washing hands like they used to me, you don’t see people wearing mask as they used to,” Gonzalez says. “You don’t see people keeping the social distancing like they used to. So all this in place is a reason why cases and the numbers are increasing.”