Lee Health president says COVID-19 patients has doubled in recent weeks

LEE COUNTY, Fla.– Lee Health’s President and CEO released a statement on COVID-19 in Southwest Florida on Wednesday.

According to Dr. Larry Antonucci, the number of COVID-positive patients in their hospitals has doubled in the past few weeks.

Lee Health is currently treating 60 COVID patients. The rise in positive cases is due in part to the Delta variant of the virus.

Previous coverage: New COVID-19 variant could soon become dominant in the US

“The Delta variant has posed new challenges, and is a possible reason for the increase in new hospitalizations. Even if you are vaccinated, you should still consider wearing a mask in public to protect against the Delta and other possible variants. In addition to masking, vaccines have shown to provide protection against this variant,” said Dr. Antonucci.

According to the CDC, the Delta variant is now the most dominant strain in the United States. The variant is highly transmissible.

More information on the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus can be found here.

The president also advises that the best way to end the pandemic is to get vaccinated. Only half of Lee County residents have gotten their COVID-19 vaccine.

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