BRADENTON – Manatee County Commissioners have extended the countywide curfew until Tuesday, but they have even larger concerns about the lack of coronavirus (COVID-19) testing kits and the high number of nursing home residents and employees who’ve already tested positive.
And according to Commissioner Carol Whitmore, former commissioner Gwendolyn Brown has died as a result of contracting COVID-19. Brown was Manatee County’s first African-American county commissioner and the county’s first African-American commission chairperson.
Curfew extended
During Friday afternoon’s emergency county commission meeting, Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur presented his request to extend the curfew for another seven days.
“Manatee County has not yet achieved a flatting of the curve. Our response to COVID-19 is going to continue for some time. Therefore, sustained efforts to promote social distancing that slow the spread or flatten the curve remain more crucial than ever. Over the next few weeks, while our health and medical community remain on the front lines and under a great deal of stress, we need to be doing all that we can to build and maintain resiliency in ourselves and in our community,” Saur told the commission.
Saur said COVID-19 cases in Manatee County are now predicted to peak during the week of May 3. The previous anticipated peak was on or around April 21.
The commission voted 4-3 to extend the curfew until Tuesday, April 21, when it will be discussed again during the regular county commission meeting which starts at 9 a.m.
When making her motion to extend the curfew until Tuesday April 21, Commissioner Priscilla Trace said it was possible that Gov. Ron DeSantis might make an announcement on Monday that impacts the county curfew.
For now, the countywide curfew remains in effect from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. Travel during that overnight timeframe is restricted to those engaged in essential businesses, services or activities set forth in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Executive Order 20-91, which some refer to as a ‘stay-at-home’ order.
Testing concerns
Commissioner Misty Servia asked Saur why Manatee County has had so many fewer tests than Sarasota County.
According to Saur, the Manatee County Health Department has run out of specimen collection kits and is waiting for more.
“We know the state of Florida has run out of tests. Since we last saw our 200 tests we used for our drive-through (testing) the State of Florida has sent us more tests. However, we were told we could not use them and all of the information on all those tests were in Chinese,” Saur said.
The tests marked with Chinese language are not FDA approved.
“As of today, they’re going to start replacing those with valid FDA-approved tests. When those come in, we will definitely start using those to start testing the public,” Saur said.
Saur said MCR Health in Manatee County has purchased its own tests and is providing COVID-19 testing for those who meet the testing and symptomatic criteria. Saur said those with a prescription from their personal health care provider can be tested at a MCR Health facility. He also said those without a prescription can be tested at a MCR Health facility if they meet the testing criteria.
“MCR has plenty of tests,” Saur said.
Saur said Manatee Memorial Hospital has purchased tests and he thinks Blake Medical Center has too.
Commissioner Vanessa Baugh asked Baugh if COVID-19 testing was free nationwide. Saur said he’s aware of medical facilities in Manatee County charging for coronavirus tests.
Dr. Jennifer McCullen is an obstetrician in Lakewood Ranch. She is also the president-elect of the Manatee County Medical Society. During public comment, she expressed support for extending the curfew. She also addressed the cost of purchasing COVID-19 tests.
“They are $60 per test and you’re not getting them for free,” McCullen said.
County Administrator Cheri Coryea said there would be a meeting on Monday at which she, Saur, local health care professionals and Manatee County Health Department officials would discuss purchasing test kits directly, without going through the state.
Coryea said she has asked the discussion group to provide a number as to how many tests are needed and how many tests can be appropriately administered in Manatee County.
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy asked about the county’s available financial resources.
“It is a funding issue from the standpoint of the costs of tests, but it’s also an access issue of finding tests that are the appropriate tests. At this point we’re not as concerned about the financial implications,” Coryea said.
Coryea said said she’s spoken to other organizations and individuals in the community who’ve offered to assist in the efforts to purchase tests directly.
“I don’t feel it’s a funding issue, it’s getting the right information so the right tests are here and carried out properly,” Coryea said.
Coryea said she would provide the commissioners with more details on Tuesday.
Nursing home concerns
Saur addressed the need to test nursing home residents and employees.
“Our number one testing concern right now is with our nursing homes. The state has brought in incident management teams to our nursing homes and they’ve started a very big push to get all of those patients and workers tested,” he said.
“As of this week, our health department has started issuing involuntary quarantines to some of those nursing home workers because we know they’re spreading COVID-19. The state is reserving those tests for the nursing homes. We have to get into those nursing homes to make sure they’re following all the proper procedures and that they’re also being tested,” Saur said.
“We have two long-term care facilities that have tested employees and residents. And of those two sites, we’ve had over 100 positives in those two long-term care facilities,” Saur said.
COVID-19 claims former commissioner
During Friday’s meeting, Whitmore announced Brown’s passing.
“I have some very bad news. Commissioner Gwen Brown died at 2:49 from this terrible disease. She was at home. She wasn’t in a nursing home. She wasn’t able to drive, so somebody brought it (the virus) to her. Her family asked me to publicly announce this and to please pray for her. So, for those of you who say you don’t know anybody and can’t put a name to this, Commissioner Gwen Brown rest in peace,” Whitmore said.
Beaches still ‘closed’
During public comment, Bradenton resident Michelle Pinel addressed the beach closures on Anna Maria Island. She questioned the fairness of Island residents and vacation rentals guests being allowed to access the Island beach areas that remain difficult for other county residents to utilize due to the temporary elimination of public parking spaces.
“The beach is closed down, but it is only closed down to the average Manatee County citizen. There are people illegally checking into vacation rentals and the citizens (of the Island) are allowed to use the beach, but we are not. I think that is unfair,” Pinel said.
