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Federal Covid vaccine site planned for Tampa

A partnership between the state and federal governments will bring four Covid-19 vaccine sites to Florida, including one in Tampa. The vaccine site will be at the Tampa Greyhound track, 755 E. Waters Ave., according to a news release from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Other federally-supported sites are in Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville. The sites will open on March 3 and will operate seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Each site will administer 2,000 vaccines per day. Additionally, each site will have two smaller, mobile satellite sites that will conduct 500 vaccinations per day in underserved areas, the news release said. The state will use the current preregistration system and work with local community organizations to proactively schedule appointments. To preregister with the statewide system, individuals can either call the designated phone number for their county or visit myvaccine.fl.gov. Partners in the initiative are the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Defense, the Florida Department of Health, Florida Division of Emergency Management and Florida National Guard. 

Tampa General posts strong gains

Tampa General Hospital reported double-digit gains in operating revenue and income in the first quarter of the hospital’s fiscal year. Tampa General had $427.5 million in operating revenue for the three months ended Dec. 31, up 15.4 percent from the same quarter a year ago, according to a public filing for bondholders by its parent company, Florida Health Sciences Center. Tampa General’s operating gain was $30.1 million for Q1 FY 2021, up 216 percent from the year-ago quarter. The hospital’s margin for the most recent quarter was 8.5 percent, compared to 4.6 percent a year ago. Tampa General is a 1,006-bed nonprofit academic medical center and the largest hospital in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area.

Business incubator names new chairwoman

Charlotte Baker, the co-founder and CEO of Digital Hands, a Tampa cybersecurity firm, has been named chairwoman of the board at Tampa Bay Wave, a business incubator for tech startups. Baker, a 20-year veteran of the cybersecurity industry, has won numerous awards and accolades from CEO Magazine, Tampa Bay Business Journal, eWomenNetwork, Women Impacting Public Policy and Florida Trend. Baker is also a member of the University of Tampa board of trustees.

Sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty, suspect charged

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Michael Magli was killed in the line of duty on Wednesday when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Robert Holzaepfel. A seven-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, Magli and other members of the Patrol Operations Bureau were pursuing Holzaepfel, 33, in an unincorporated part of Tarpon Springs. Magli exited his patrol car to deploy stop sticks when Holzaepfel, who was traveling southbound on East Lake Road between Forelock Road and Keystone Road, lost control of his truck, entered the median and collided with Magli. Holzaepfel, whose address is listed as “transient,” was taken into custody and has been charged with first degree felony murder, DUI manslaughter, driving with a suspended license, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage and aggravated fleeing and eluding. He also faces probation violation charges in Manatee County.

Pinellas gets thousands more Covid vaccines

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the opening of an additional Covid-19 vaccination site in Pinellas Park Thursday morning. This new site, at Mainlands of Tamarac by the Gulf, will provide 3,000 vaccines to seniors age 65 and older over the next three days, DeSantis said.  Another state-supported vaccination site will be opening next week in Pinellas County, with another 5,000 shots. That location was not announced. 

Gulfport Indie Faire is Saturday

More than two dozen artists, jewelers, crafts makers and creatives will participate in Gulfport's Third Saturday Indie Faire, Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. along Beach Boulevard. The curated, free event highlights arts, crafts, jewelry and botanicals, and observes all social distancing and safety protocols. 

Pfizer plans global center in Tampa

Pfizer will open a global capability hub in Tampa. The new facility will be located just north of downtown Tampa in Heights Union, a news release said. It will bring together Pfizer's multi-disciplinary professional services, such as finance, human resources, digital, and sourcing, into a consolidated and simplified structure. Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) will join life sciences company Axogen, which chose Tampa for its second headquarters office in 2018. Other biopharmas that have opened global hubs in Hillsborough County include Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson and Amgen.

Private equity fund buys Tampa dental lab

RoundTable Healthcare Partners has acquired DDS Lab, headquartered in Tampa. Financial terms were not disclosed. DDS is a national dental laboratory offering a comprehensive line of fixed crown and bridge, removable, implant and orthodontic products. The company stands out due to its  centralized manufacturing, investments in digital capabilities, and commitment to customer service and quality, according to Tom Kapfer, RoundTable managing partner. RoundTable is an operating-oriented private equity firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry.

Citing Covid-19 concerns, organizers cancel Knight Parade

First it was the pirate invasion and Bayshore Boulevard parades. Now another Gasparilla season tradition — the Knight Parade in Ybor City — has been mothballed until at least 2022 because of the Covid-19 crisis. The Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago, which organizes the Knight Parade, said this week that the 2021 parade will not go forward as scheduled, and instead the group will focus on next year’s event, set for Saturday, Feb. 12. “We’ve worked closely with the City of Tampa and the parade’s presenting sponsor MOR-TV to assess the potential health risks to the community,” stated Ken Willis, Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago member and 2021 parade chairman, in a news release. “Our board of directors has decided it’s best for our community to cancel this year’s parade, and plan to celebrate safely in 2022.”

Rays sign two veteran hurlers to round out pitching staff

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed free agent pitchers Rich Hill and Oliver Drake to one-year contracts for the 2021 season. Hill, 40, is a 16-year MLB veteran who has made 13 postseason appearances in his career. The left-hander was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won back-to-back National League pennants in 2017 and 2018. The right-handed Drake, 34, made the Rays opening day roster in 2020 but was limited to 11 appearances due to an Aug. 9-Sept. 14 stint on the injured list. In 2018, Drake pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins, becoming the first player in major league history to pitch for five different teams in one season.

Blue Jays to open 2021 regular season in Dunedin

Citing Covid-19 travel restrictions that have closed the U.S.-Canada border, the Toronto Blue Jays have decided to play the first two home stands of the 2021 Major League Baseball season at their spring training facility in Dunedin. The decision will see the team use TD Ballpark as its home stadium until May 2, when it hopes to return to the Rogers Centre in Toronto. "Next to the health and safety of our fans, players and staff, the Blue Jays’ top priority is returning home to play on Canadian soil as soon as it is safe to do so," the team said in a statement. "The club has been actively working through plans for what a safe return to Rogers Centre could look like."

Jabil gets FDA go-ahead for made-in-US face masks

Jabil said it is ready to deliver personal protective equipment orders of medical-quality, FDA-cleared, made-in-US face masks. The masks are produced at Jabil operations in Memphis, Tennessee.  Jabil, a St. Petersburg-based manufacturing services company and a GSA-Schedule holder,  said in a news release that it is positioned to quickly support the mask mandate recently issued by President Biden, requiring individuals to wear masks on federal property as well as on planes, trains, buses and at airports. Jabil is offering the masks for large orders from states, communities or organizations. The masks are designed to meet the stringent protection requirements of operating room personnel, general healthcare workers and their patients, the news release said.

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