MANATEE COUNTY – This afternoon, Manatee County commissioners informally discussed face masks as they pertain to the COVID-19 pandemic, but no commissioner proposed making masks mandatory or pursuing a county ordinance that would enact such a law.
“I wish every person would have a sense of personal responsibility that they could cause the death of somebody by bringing this home. Do I think it’s right to have an ordinance that mandates you wear a mask? No, because I don’t think it will do any good. As your chair of the Manatee County Board of Commissioners, I think you should wear a mask when you’re out in public,” Commission Chair Betsy Benac said.
Commissioner Misty Servia proposed the commission collectively issue and continue to issue a public health alert using the reverse 911 system and various other communication platforms at the county’s disposal.
When reading aloud her proposed public health alert, Servia said, “COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus and currently a worldwide pandemic with no cure. The current death rate of positive cases in Manatee County is 10%. Manatee County urges all businesses to require patrons and staff, as well as our citizens, to take these smart steps to keep yourself, your family and our community safe:
- Frequently wash your hands;
- Don’t touch your face;
- Maintain a 6-foot social distance from others;
- Wear a mask when inside buildings and public transit;
- Avoid large crowds as much as possible:
- Our vulnerable populations should remain safer at home much as possible.”
Servia’s motion received some initial support but eventually died without a second from another commissioner.
Benac noted business owners have the right to require employees and patrons to wear masks, but that remains a decision each business owner must make.
Public Safety Director Jake Sauer said Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees recently issued a statement similar to Servia’s proposed health alert.
Servia said she was OK if the commission wanted to issue Rivkees’ message instead of the public health alert she drafted.
Commissioner Priscilla Trace made a motion directing Sauer and County Administrator Cheri Coryea to come up with some form of public health statement to be presented to the commission no later than the conclusion of the commission’s land use meeting on Wednesday, June 24.
The commission voted 5-2 in favor of Trace’s motion. Commissioner Carol Whitmore and Steve Jonsson opposed the motion.
Whitmore said she wanted more time to consider what was being proposed. Jonsson did not explain his vote, but during the discussion, he expressed his opposition to mandatory masks. He questioned how a mandatory mask requirement could be enforced and he stressed the importance of each individual taking personal responsibility for protecting themselves and their loved ones.
During the meeting, Sauer told commissioners positive COVID-19 cases and the percentage of positive tests continue to rise in Manatee County. He said those numbers rose significantly in the past week or so and are not attributed to increased testing.
Eight people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, while no cases have been reported in Anna Maria, according to the Florida Department of Health. As of this morning, Florida had 111,973 reported cases with 3,333 deaths. Manatee County had 2,135 reported cases with 129 deaths.
“This indicates we have sustained community spread within our younger age groups,” Sauer told the commission.
