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DeSantis says Florida getting more of drug used to treat coronavirus patients

We're gonna be over 400,000 tests easily for the week,' governor says
Posted at 12:43 PM, Jul 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-11 23:24:10-04

BRADENTON, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis discussed Florida's battle against coronavirus on Saturday.

Speaking from Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, he announced an increase in the availability of a drug used to treat coronavirus patients.

"Today, hospitals throughout Florida will be getting additional shipments of the theraputic Remdesivir," he said. "That had been something that a lot of physicians have been using. We got positive responses for it."

RELATED: Latest Florida coronavirus data

Speaking from Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, he announced an increase in the availability of a drug used to treat coronavirus patients.

"Today, hospitals throughout Florida will be getting additional shipments of the theraputic Remdesivir," he said. "That had been something that a lot of physicians have been using. We got positive responses for it."

The governor detailed that more than 1,000 contract personnel being deployed around the state to offer support for different services.

"Some of it will be long-term care COVID-only facilities," DeSantis said. "Some of it will be supporting some of the normal medical operations. Some of it may be supporting testing. When we talked to people around the state, particularly with the hospital system, a lot of it is just making sure there's enough personnel to do all this. COVID is very labor-intensive."

The governor said Florida probably had more coronavirus test results Friday than the entire country did as a whole in the beginning part of March.

Florida has tested 2.4 million people. That's one test for every nine residents.

"We're gonna be over 400,000 tests easily for the week," he said.

The state has established 13 nursing facilities specifically for treating only COVID-19 patients from nursing homes.

"This way they're able to be isolated and not spread it into their home facilities," he said.