Coronavirus updates: Here’s what to know in Bradenton and Manatee County on Aug. 13
The latest on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bradenton and Manatee County.
Eight more deaths reported in Manatee. That makes 50 in three days
Eight Manatee County residents are among the 212 Floridians whose deaths from COVID-19 were confirmed Wednesday by the Florida Department of Health.
The official death toll of Florida residents killed by the deadly respiratory disease now stands at 8,765. Another non-resident has also reported to have died from COVID-19, making a total 133 additional deaths in the state.
In Manatee County, there have been a total of 242 residents confirmed to have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic got underway.
Fifty of those deaths have been reported since Monday, coming a week after a spike in deaths, according to Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Russell Vega.
The health department also reported 8,109 new coronavirus infections across the state. A total of 550,901 people have been infected in Florida since March.
Manatee County had 73 new positive cases as of Wednesday. A total of 9,468 people have tested positive in Manatee County.
Employees exposed to COVID-19 at Palmetto High School
Several employees at Palmetto High School have isolated for 14 days after they were exposed to COVID-19 on campus, according to an email from the school principal.
“We were alerted today that we had a confirmed case of COVID-19 on our campus,” Principal Carl Auckerman said in the email, sent to families on Wednesday evening.
The school district and the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County launched an investigation, known as contact tracing, and found that “a number of school employees” had direct exposure to the infected person, the email continues.
Word of the exposures began to circulate on social media. Before obtaining a copy of the email from a parent, the Bradenton Herald contacted district spokesman Mike Barber to verify whether COVID-19 had affected Palmetto High or other campuses.
“Our plan is to provide a weekly update on Friday, just like the one we sent out last week,” he responded, offering no confirmation of the Palmetto High exposures.
When pressed for answers, he responded with a one-sentence email: “The people impacted have been notified.”
“Direct exposure” means someone was within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes, according to the district’s guidance, which mirrors recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Based on the principal’s email, it seems the infected person was a school employee, but it was unclear how many employees were exposed and sent home on Wednesday.
Manatee School District makes final preparations for reopening
The Manatee County School Board on Tuesday approved some last-minute preparations for the start of the school year on Monday, Aug. 17.
Employees, however, will be left on their own to get tested for COVID-19.
And the board has yet to make a final decision on whether students and others in school will have to wear masks.
Read more here.
COVID-19 derails political campaign
More than 13 months ago, Hillsborough County teacher Amanda Linton launched her campaign for the District 21 seat in the Florida Senate.
As she noted Wednesday, it was always going to be an uphill battle for a Democrat in the district, which includes all of Manatee County and part of Hillsborough. The district is currently represented by Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who has endorsed former state representative Jim Boyd to succeed him.
But Linton persisted — until Wednesday, when she decided family considerations heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic would preempt her political ambitions.
Linton said she and her family are ultimately victims of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and she must put family before politics. They will be moving to Mississippi where her husband has been working.
“My head and heart have been consumed by this race since early 2019, well before I officially filed that July,” Linton said in a prepared statement. “I knew this campaign would be an uphill climb and while I was ready for that challenge, my family was not ready for the effects a global pandemic would have on us.”
Linton said her husband was forced to close his commercial maintenance business in March following mass closures across the state.
North Mississippi is where the couple went to high school, met and ultimately started their family before moving to Florida.
“Once the decision to relocate was made, I knew I could not in good conscience continue to run for this seat at this time.”
Linton said the decision to withdraw was “challenging ... but I made a commitment to my family first ... While things haven’t worked out the way we planned, the growing movement happening across District 21 will not be silenced.”
Testing locations in Manatee County
Among the places you can get tested for the novel coronavirus are:
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. Antibody testing, which requires the drawing of blood, also is available at this location.
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.