It will get worse before it gets better.
Positive cases of COVID-19 were rapidly rising in the state and in Manatee County the week ending April 5.
Since the first case in Florida was documented March 1 in Manatee County, the number of people in the state who had tested positive increased to 12,350 and 221 deaths as of April 5.
The county reported 136 positive cases as of April 5, out of 910 people tested.
Jake Saur, the county’s public safety director, said April 3 that projections indicated Florida would see a surge of COVID-19 patients peaking May 2.
The first person to test positive on Anna Maria Island was a Holmes Beach resident who was reported April 1 by the Florida Department of Health.
However, Bradenton Beach resident Tom Sheehan, who had been on a cruise that departed March 5, contracted the virus on the ship and died at Sarasota Memorial Hospital March 29.
Following an increase in testing the week of March 23, positive cases reported statewide more than tripled from 2,484 as of March 26 to 9,008 as of April 2.
Gov. Ron DeSantis April 1 issued an order directing people to stay at home for 30 days and maintain social distancing while in public, and only leave home for essentials, such as groceries, gas, banking and health care.
First responders
The county health department was working to ensure that first responders were protected while working to prevent unnecessary quarantines.
Saur said that intensive measures also must be taken to protect health care professionals dealing with coronavirus.
“We are receiving an average of 100 COVID-19 calls a day,” Saur said. “Each coronavirus call takes two hours to complete.”
He said a number of first responders were quarantined after possibly being exposed to COVID-19 while performing their duties. And some of those quarantines could have been prevented had the 911 callers answered questions to the best of their ability.
Randy Warren, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, wrote April 2 that one MCSO deputy tested positive for COVID-19 following a vacation in the Orlando area for several days the week of March 16. The officer was tested March 21 and results came back positive March 23.
Additionally, four deputies who shared office space with the deputy self-isolated and were working remotely.
“So far, those seven employees report feeling good and have not indicated symptoms of the coronavirus,” Warren wrote.
As of April 3, no officers with the Holmes Beach or Bradenton Beach police departments tested positive for the virus, although one Holmes Beach officer was quarantined following a cruise and two other officers self-quarantined following travel and flu-like symptoms.
“We are doing everything in our power to keep our employees healthy,” Tokajer said. “If somebody starts feeling sick, we are making sure they stay home.”
Protective equipment
According to an April 3 email to The Islander from the health department state communications center in Tallahassee, Florida was slated to receive its third shipment of equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile, including:
- 1,290,000 surgical masks;
- 714,354 gloves;
- 540,000 N95 masks;
- 246,000 face shields;
- 201,000 gowns;
- 1,026 coveralls
The materials were being distributed on a rolling basis across the state. However, the county is concerned about availability for providers during the anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients through April and has requested people donate medical-grade personal protection equipment, such as gloves, masks and hand sanitizer.
To donate, people are asked to call 941-744-3939. A list of PPE items can be found on the county at mymanatee.org.
Positive COVID-19 cases in Manatee
According to an April 6 report shared on the Florida Department of Health website by Florida Division of Emergency COVID-19 cases in Manatee
According to the Florida Department of Health website by Florida Division of Emergency Management April 5, positive cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County were reported as:
- 95 Bradenton;
- 5 Lakewood Ranch;
- 5 Longboat Key;
- 11 Palmetto;
- 6 Parrish;
- 1 Myakka City;
- 3 Ellenton;
- 1 Holmes Beach;
- 4, Sarasota/Manatee;
- 5, missing data.