UF Health Jacksonville

The center, named for the late CEO of the hospital, will serve veterans with the “invisible wounds of war," including mild to moderate traumatic brain injury, PTSD and substance abuse.

Dr. Leon L. Haley Jr. was lauded for his efforts in response to COVID-19. In December, he was the first person in Jacksonville to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Patients too young for the approved vaccines are among those ending up in Jacksonville hospitals, according to Dr. Mobeen Rathore, UF Health Jacksonville's associate chair of pediatric medicine.

UF Health Jacksonville’s COVID ward is reporting a 10% to 15% rise in admissions per day.

Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties reported similar increases amid a drop in vaccination rates and increase in delta variant cases.

Chad Nielsen, director of Accreditation and Infection Prevention for UF Health Jacksonville, said Florida residents should follow CDC guidelines, which do not recommend vaccinated people mask up.

Leon Haley also told the City Council that many UF Health Jacksonville nurses have retired or left the workforce because of the strain of the job over the past year.

The CEO of UF Health Jacksonville said Thursday it may be a few weeks before his hospital receives more doses of coronavirus vaccines.

Pfizer's vaccine will be sent to five state hospitals after receiving emergency use authorization from the FDA, which is expected to come after an advisory committee meets Thursday.

The vaccine stored will be whichever is approved first, possibly the candidate from Pfizer, which is expected to ask the FDA for emergency approval on Friday,