Manatee County Commission approves nighttime curfew to fight COVID-19
A new local curfew turned bustling Bradenton-area streets into ghost towns when it went into effect for the first time Friday night.
Few cars could be seen traveling Manatee County roads after the nighttime curfew went into effect at 11 p.m. Even at Cortez Road and 14th Street West, one of the county’s busiest intersections, only a handful of vehicles traveled through the area.
The Manatee Board of County Commissioners on Friday afternoon voted 5-2 to enact a curfew meant to help officials fight the potential spread of COVID-19. The curfew requires most county residents to stay home from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night, unless they are on essential business, such as driving to or from work.
The curfew was recommended to commissioners by the county’s policy group, which includes the public safety director, county administrator, commission chair, mayors, police chiefs and the sheriff, one day after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statewide stay-at-home order.
DeSantis’ order went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday. It exempts what is a long list of what are deemed to be essential businesses.
The county commission met for about two and a half hours Friday afternoon, arguing back and forth extensively about whether to pass the proposed resolution. The resolution passed by a vote of 5-2, with commissioners Stephen R. Jonsson and Vanessa Baugh voting against. Voting for were commissioners Reggie Bellamy, Betsy Benac, Misty Servia, Priscilla Trace and Carol Whitmore.
“The idea that we are trampling on people’s rights, you betcha. And are we scaring people, you betcha. We want people to be scared. We want them to stay home,” Benac said.
The order, like the local state of emergency, will be in effect for seven days but can be extended administratively by Benac, the board’s chair.
“We are in unprecedented times and we will have a real problem when the virus peaks in our community. Our healthcare system and first responders will not be able to manage the surge of sick patients,” Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur said. “Now is the time to make swift, purposeful decisions before we reach the peak to preserve our workforce, protect our healthcare infrastructure and protect our community.”
Law enforcement will enforce the curfew.
“We’re not trying to arrest anyone,” said Sheriff Rick Wells. “There really is no reason for anyone to be outside their home based on the guidelines already set by the governor after 10 p.m. . ... Unfortunately, we have a lot of people not taking this virus seriously.”
The proposal had been for the curfew to begin at 10 p.m., but it was amended by commissioners to start at 11 p.m. each night.
The curfew, like DeSantis’ order, does not allow law enforcement to pull anyone over.
“We just want people to stay home and take this seriously,” Wells told the Bradenton Herald afterward. “During the daytime, some don’t realize where all of us can go. If you are just driving around Manatee County because you want to look at the sights, you are in violation the governor’s order.”
The only exceptions for anyone to be out will be: anyone who is driving to or from their job; fire, police, emergency and hospital services; anyone transporting someone to a hospital; utility work; state and local government employees and officials providing services; doctors out on emergency calls; food delivery services; and anyone walking their pet.
“We are making doomsday plans, changing medical protocols, screening everyone. We face the possibility of rationing personal protection equipment,” Saur said. “We are at a critical point to flatten the curve for exposures to COVID-19. A curfew only assists us in doing that. I am very worried that as law enforcement continues their journey through this with our first responders, they will become exposed to this virus.“
Herald staff writer Ryan Callihan contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 3, 2020 at 10:42 AM.
