Coronavirus updates: Here’s what to know in Bradenton and Manatee County on July 9
The latest on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bradenton and Manatee County
190 new COVID-19 cases reported in Manatee
Manatee County has another 190 residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus, as the state added nearly 10,000 new cases, according to the latest data released on Wednesday by the Florida Department of Health.
Wednesday’s new daily case count was the third-highest in Manatee County since the onset of the pandemic. The new 9,989 cases across the state Wednesday was the fourth-highest daily count to date.
A total of 4,080 people have now been infected with the coronavirus in Manatee County. Statewide, there are now 223,783 people who have been infected.
In Florida, there were 48 new deaths reported, raising the official state death toll to 3,889. An additional 102 non-Florida residents have also died.
In Manatee County, the official death toll remained at 135.
The overall positive rate has continued its upward tick, with 8.4% of those tested locally having tested positive for the coronavirus. Statewide, the positivity rate has risen to 9.6%.
Manatee County running out of ICU beds
As of 7:45 a.m. Thursday morning, only four of the 70 intensive-care unit beds at Manatee County hospitals were free of patients, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. In Sarasota County, 24 of 91 ICU beds were available.
Read more about the ICU shortage in Manatee County here.
Manatee School Board members push back on state reopening order
The School Board of Manatee County will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday to grapple with its school reopening plans and a new order from Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran mandating that districts reopen their campuses.
In-person meetings are still closed to the public, as a safety precaution against COVID-19, but the meetings are broadcast on Spectrum Channel 646 and Frontier Channel 39, along with on www.mstv.us.
Superintendent Cynthia Saunders spoke with Dr. Jennifer Bencie, head of the local health department, on Tuesday afternoon. Saunders will present her suggestions at Thursday’s board meeting, and Bencie was supportive of the superintendent’s plan, according to district spokesman Mike Barber.
Charlie Kennedy, the board’s vice chair, was uneasy about the last-minute order from Tallahassee. He wondered how schools could open at capacity and still maintain social distancing, and whether the district could protect its vulnerable employees.
“I think we, Manatee County schools, should just proceed with the plan we already have,” Kennedy said. “This is another one of those Richard Corcoran edicts that he probably doesn’t have the actual power to make. I think there’s going to be some legal questions.”
Feds bust Bradenton ‘church’ that was peddling ‘miracle’ cure for COVID-19
Members of a Bradenton family who marketed a toxic bleaching agent as a cure for COVID-19 and other serious diseases and conditions now face federal criminal charges.
Mark Grenon, 62, and sons Jonathan Grenon, 34, Jordan Grenon, 26, and Joseph Grenon, 32, peddled the substance under the name “Miracle Mineral Solution” (MMS) through a quasi-religious organization known as the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, according to court documents. The organization operated out of a home on Garden Lane in Bradenton.
The Grenons are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as well as criminal contempt of court related to a civil case filed by the federal government earlier this year.
“Not only is this MMS product toxic, but its distribution and use may prevent those who are sick from receiving the legitimate healthcare they need,” said Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, in a press release. “A United States District Court already has ordered the defendants to stop distributing this product; we will not sit idly by as individuals purposefully violate Court orders and put the public in danger.”
Mark Grenon has made numerous appeals to President Donald Trump since legal action was brought against Genesis II, and encouraged the organization’s followers to do the same. In April, Grenon claimed he wrote to the president touting MMS as a treatment for COVID-19. It was just days before the president made controversial remarks about the possibility of injecting disinfectant into COVID-19 patients. The president later claimed the remarks were sarcastically made to reporters, “just to see what would happen.”
However, the remarks appeared to encourage Grenon, who promoted the president’s statements as support for MMS.
Bradenton City Council to consider mask ordinance
Wearing a mask or face covering in Bradenton businesses may soon be required, but there won’t be a fine if you don’t comply.
Citing an intense spike in local COVID-19 cases, Bradenton City Council voted unanimously Wednesday morning to ask the city attorney to draft an ordinance that requires public businesses to post signs on their front doors urging guests to wear a mask before entering.
“In my honest opinion, it’s become a political decision,” said Councilman Gene Gallo, who brought the subject before his fellow council members. “I’m sorry, but I don’t care about politics. It’s a safety issue. If we feel strongly enough about it, I want us to do something to encourage people to wear these masks out in the public.”
Gallo’s suggestion applies strictly to signage, with no fines involved for non-compliance.
“I’m not looking for fines,” he explained.
Some council members were hesitant to go along with Gallo’s suggestion, noting that privately owned businesses already have the right to deny service to a customer who isn’t wearing a mask.
Free COVID-19 testing available here
A reminder that free COVID-19 testing continues at locations in Manatee and Sarasota counties, including:
A drive-thru site near The Mall at University Town Center, in the parking lot east of Dillard’s, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until the site uses all of its test equipment for the day.
A walk-up site at Home Depot, 2350 Cortez Road W., Bradenton, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.or until the site uses all of its test equipment for the day.
A walk-up site at Lincoln Park, 501 17th St. E., Palmetto, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.or until the site uses all of its test equipment for the day.
Food pantries in Manatee County
As COVID-19 has ravaged Manatee County and employers have shedded jobs, food security has become a bigger issue for many residents.
Manatee County government has released a list of food pantries in the county where residents can obtain free food and other assistance.
Read it here.
NEED A JOB? LOOK HERE
Employers can post jobs while workers displaced by the coronavirus pandemic can search for them at jobfocus.com, a service hosted by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
Also, here is a link to more information about applying for unemployment benefits in Florida.
ORGANIZATIONS OFFERING HELP
Resources are available to help struggling Manatee County residents through the COVID-19 pandemic. Opportunities also exist to support local relief efforts, which are facing a sudden and overwhelming demand.
Here is a list of some of the organizations offering help.
Need help paying rent or utility bills? Check out the groups listed here.
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.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 8:07 AM.