One-on-one with Lee Health's Dr. Antonucci, ahead of Wednesday Town Hall

The latest Lee Health Virtual Town Hall Meeting is planned for Wednesday afternoon.

Fox 4’s Jessica Alpern had a one-on-one interview with President & CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci ahead of that forum.

TO ALLOW KIDS TO GO SAFELY BACKTO SCHOOL, CLICK ON THIS SECTIONOF FOX 4 NOW DOT COM.IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUTCOVID-19, TODAY’S THE DAY TO GETTHEM ANSWERED STRAIGHT FROM LEEHEALTH LEADERS.ITS LATEST VIRTUAL TOWN HALL ISSET FOR THIS AFTERNOON.OUR JESSICA ALPERN HAD AONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW WITPRESIDENT AND C-E-O OF LEEHEALTH, DR. LARRY ANTONUCCI,AHEAD OF IT ALL... JESSICA?DR. ANTONUCCI IS ONE OF TWOPANELISTS FOR TODAY’S TOWNHALL...WHICH WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TOTALK ABOUT THE STATUS OFCOVID-19 IN OUR COMMUNITY, ANDWHAT WE’RE LIKELY TO SEE IN THEFUTURE.LEE HEALTH SAYS THE INTERACTIVEEXPERIENCE IS FOCUSED ONBRINGING THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDACOMMUNITY "FACTS, NOT FEAR."THESE VIRTUAL FORUMS ARESOMETHING IT’S DONE THROUGHOUTTHE PANDEMIC.THIS AFTERNOON -- YOU’LL BE ABLETO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT ARE ONYOUR MIND WHEN IT COMES TOCOVID-19.I SAT DOWN VIRTUALLY WITH DR.ANTONUCCI TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OFHOW IT’LL ALL WORK.WE TALKED ABOUT THINGS LIKEWHERE WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY WHENIT COMES TO VIRUS.Larry Antonucci, M.D., MBA,President & CEO, Lee Health5:07Back in March & April, we had awave of cases and that wave wasby current standards relativelysmall.

Then we went a period oftime a month or two relativelystable.

Then suddenly a monthago, we saw a rapid increase.

Wehad a 100 patients on a givenday to 300 over a weeks time,now that seems to have quieteddown, we’re on the other side ofthat curve and down below 200cases in the hospital per dayfor the last few days.BUTT TO5:48I think we know we had asignificant surge in the lastmonth, whether we will getanother is going to depend onour behaviors.HE ADDS THAT WITH A VACCINEBEING A MINIMUM OF SIX-MONTHSAWAY...SOCIAL DISTANCING, MASK-WEARINGAND HAND-HYGIENGE IS HOW WE’REGOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THOSELEVELS DOWN.DR. ANTONUCCI ALSO ANSWERED MYQUESTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO WHATWE KNOW ABOUT THE POTENTIALLONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS OFCOVID-19, AND TRAVELING DURINGTHE PANDEMIC.I’LL LET YOU HEAR MORE FROM THATINTERVIEW IN OUR NEXT HALF HOUR.BUT TODAY IS THE DAY YOU’LL BEABLE TO ASK *YOUR QUESTIONS WHENIT COMES TO THE VIRUS.THE TOWN HALL IS SET FOR 12-