Collier County has third-highest COVID positivity rate among kids in the state

According to the Florida Department of Health, Collier County is showing the third-highest rate of positivity among children in the state at 20.6%.

Nicola Jordan says her entire family was taking precautions but they still got COVID. “It was very scary,” she said. 

Jordan was doing all that she could but she and her two kids still tested positive.

“As a mom, experiencing my kids have to go through this and then myself, it’s like it got to the point where it was life and death,” Jordan said. “Where it’s like, OK, who’s going to survive this? What should we do?”

More than 1,300 other Collier County parents have experienced the same issue.

“Collier County is at about 20 to 21% for pediatric positivity rate,” said Kristine Hollingsworth, public information officer for the Department of Health Collier County.

This is the third-highest percentage for kids in the state. But, Hollingsworth says that doesn’t tell the whole story.

“We are actually trending on a decline,” Hollingsworth said. “So as of July 31, our positivity rate was approximately 13% for pediatric cases. As of Aug. 31, it was approximately 9%.”

This is a better indication, Hollingsworth says, of where we’re headed as far as pediatric COVID-19 cases are concerned.

“This has to do with many factors; for example, testing capability in counties,” she said. “So in Collier County, we were one of the first counties at our mass testing sites to offer pediatric testing.”

The DOH still wants to remind everyone to wear their masks. They also work with Collier County Public Schools so fewer families have to experience their kids contracting COVID.

Jordan wonders what would’ve happened to her kids if her symptoms were more serious. “I’m a single parent, mom; if anything happens to me, who’s gonna take care of my kids?”

Collier County Public Schools says the positivity rate among kids in the county will play a huge role in determining whether or not to ease restrictions through the district.