Coronavirus updates: Here’s what to know in Bradenton and Manatee County on Sept. 4
The latest on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bradenton and Manatee County.
COVID-19 kills three more Manatee County residents
Three Manatee County residents were among the 149 new deaths from COVID-19 confirmed by Florida Department of Health on Thursday.
Since the pandemic hit, there have been 265 deaths in Manatee County caused by COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, according to FDOH’s data.
Read more here.
School district reports 38 COVID-19 cases since start of school year
Thirty-eight cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Manatee County public schools since the start of the school year on Aug. 17.
The number of cases was revealed in a newly launched online COVID-19 dashboard, reporting the number of infections discovered at each school.
District spokesman Mike Barber unveiled the dashboard in a news release on Thursday evening. Found at www.manateeschools.net, the dashboard listed 38 cases among 22 locations in the district.
Before Thursday, the district had declined to provide the specific number of cases, citing privacy concerns.
“In balancing privacy concerns with the public’s need to know, we have determined that providing a dashboard of confirmed cases by school still protects confidentiality while providing important information related to specific schools,” the release Thursday states.
Read more here.
Home Depot testing site closing
The state-run coronavirus testing site at the Home Depot store in Bradenton will close permanently on Friday because of a lack of demand for testing.
The site located at 2350 Cortez Road W., is closing because of a lack of demand, state emergency officials told county emergency officials. The Manatee County Department of Public Safety notified the public on social media earlier this week, but there were no signs at the site indicating it was about to close.
Read more here.
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 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.
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 September 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.