Coronavirus updates: Here’s what to know in Bradenton and Manatee County on March 26
More coronavirus cases in Manatee, Sarasota
Ten Manatee County residents are among the latest 510 people in Florida to test positive for new coronavirus, according to the latest update from the Florida Department of Health.
Manatee County now has 26 cases of COVID-19, which include one 70-year-old man who died from COVID-19 on March 16. Manatee County’s cases also include a 14-year-old boy who tested positive on Monday.
The latest cases are Manatee County residents between the ages of 41 and 69, five of whom tested positive on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday. Only one of these new cases is confirmed to be connected to travel, a 52-year-old woman who recently traveled to New York.
There was six new positive tests in Sarasota, bringing the total there to 32.
Drive-thru testing in Palmetto
Manatee County is planning to set up a 4-day-long COVID-19 drive-thru testing facility beginning Thursday at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto, but testing will be very limited.
Not just anyone will be able show up and get tested, even if they meet the current criteria. Instead, appointments and a prescription from a doctor will be required.
Anyone with a prescription needs to call 941-748-0747 to make an appointment. The site will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
The drive-thru facility will not hold future events unless the county gets another delivery of specimen collection kits and PPE, or personal protective equipment, both of which are in high demand.
Coronavirus linked to second Manatee School District campus
Someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 was on the campus of W.D. Sugg Middle School in Bradenton before the start of spring break, according to a message from the school district.
The message was sent to school employees and families on Monday. Citing the Florida Department of Health, the district said “a person associated with the school” was confirmed to have COVID-19, a respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Certain teachers and other district employees returned to work this week, to prepare for the start of virtual learning on Monday. Employees at Lakewood Ranch High School received a similar message on Sunday night. They were directed to work from home.
COVID-19’s threat to Florida hospitals
The Bradenton Herald and the Miami Herald, working with ProPublica and the Harvard Global Health Institute, have published dramatic projections about how many of Florida’s hospitals would be overwhelmed with patients if 20 percent of the state’s residents are infected by the novel coronavirus.
The calculations by Harvard show that if 20 percent of the population of Florida contracts COVID-19 within six months hospitals across the state will be overrun with more patients than they have available beds. In some areas, the demand for beds would be more than triple the current capacity.
Areas of the state potentially most at risk by the lack of sufficient hospital space are Ocala, Silver Springs, Floral City and Tallahassee.
“We are preparing areas outside of our hospitals, like tents, should we need them,” said Ashley Jeffery, communications manager for the Advent Health West Florida Division.
Read the story and view the eye-opening maps here.
How well is Manatee County social distancing?
Unacast, a tech company with offices in New York and Norway, is utilizing data collected from cell phone GPS location to determine which states and counties are performing social distancing the best and worst with the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Grades were given for data collected from Friday through Tuesday, with ‘A’ grades awarded for areas showing more than a 40 percent decrease in distance traveled from pre-COVID-19 to now. An ‘F’ grade was given for areas with less than a 10 percent decrease in distance traveled.
Florida was rated a ‘B.’ The Sunshine State was near a 40 percent dip in cell phone distance traveled, according to Unacast’s map.
Manatee County and Sarasota County were each given a ‘C’ grade, while Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, where residents have stay-home orders, each received ‘A’ grades.
Bradenton restaurants offering take-home and delivery services
The Bradenton Herald has published a list of restaurants offering take out and/or delivery services during the coronavirus pandemic.
Also, feel free to leave the names, addresses and phone numbers of other restaurants, either as a comment on our Facebook page or on the page for the Manatee Eats group.
Tips to protect yourself from coronavirus
There’s no vaccine for the COVID-19 virus, and experts say one may be months away from mass production.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest avoiding close contact with people who are sick, avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, staying home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
The agency also advises washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
The CDC does not advise that healthy people wear face masks, but says they should be worn by coronavirus patients to help avoid spreading the illness.
The latest closings and cancellations
Numerous businesses and organizations in Bradenton have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. For a list of closings, cancellations and postponements, check out our list.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 12:00 AM.