Jackson Health System employees must receive at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by Monday

Miami, Florida – Until Monday Jackson Health System medical workers had to receive at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Those who have not been vaccinated will have to wear an N-95 mask at all times and will not be allowed to eat or drink inside any Jackson Health facility.

Nurses and doctors are feeling the weight of rising hospitalizations.

“It feels like it’s almost worse than it was when it started last year,” said Janet Trumper-Whitney of Memorial Hospital Pembroke.

There are now 17,253 people who have been hospitalized with the virus — an 18-person increase from Saturday to Sunday.

According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he recently encouraged an immune system boost called monoclonal antibody treatment.

“Regeneron is the one monoclonal that has shown to be effective against the Delta variant,” he said.

The treatment is available for children as young as 12.

“The patients that we are getting are younger and they’re turning sicker much faster,” Trumper-Whitney said.

Numbers from the Department of Health and Human Services show a drop of 25% in administered COVID tests while cases and hospitalizations continue to increase. Deaths have also more than doubled.

“It’s really hard to see people die and to see families die because we’ve had husbands and wives and parents and kids that have come in here,” Trumper-Whitney said. “It’s really overwhelming emotionally and I wish people would just get vaccinated.”