‘This is something that happens once in 100 years.’ Manatee leaders reflect on pandemic
Dr. Jennifer Bencie, Manatee County Health Officer, didn’t hesitate when asked about her stand-out moment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That Saturday night (Feb. 29, 2020) when I got the call that we had the first case in Florida,” Bencie said Wednesday, during a Manatee Chamber of Commerce Headliners lunch meeting on Zoom. The meeting brought together four Manatee County leaders to reflect on the pandemic.
“This is it. This is something that happens once in 100 years,” Bencie said.
That first case was reported to the public a day later, along with another case in Hillsborough County.
At the time, Manatee County residents were starting to buy masks, when they could find them, as protection against a threat that was poorly understood. With no vaccinations or medications to combat COVID-19, health officials were stressing prevention: frequent hand washing, staying home when sick and not touching mouths, noses or eyes.
What was known then and has remained true is that middle-aged, younger and healthy people tended to weather COVID better than most, but the disease could be deadly for those with underlying health conditions or who were elderly.
Since that first call to Bencie, nearly 33,000 Manatee County residents have tested positive for the disease and more than 600 have died.
Efforts to combat the disease have come a long way in the past year with 52 percent of those 65 and older in Manatee County receiving vaccine. The greatest number of doses, 2,441, were administered on Feb. 26, Bencie said.
In all, 90,973 doses have been administered and 27,375 residents have completed their vaccinations, she said, adding that more work needs to be done to vaccinate under-served Black and Hispanic populations.
“Monday, we start with the 60 and over group,” she said, adding that it is a huge success to be able to allow those who have been fully vaccinated to be able to associate freely in doors without masks. “As somebody said the other day, I think we are rounding first base.”
But she offered a caveat: “Masks are still extremely important. We haven’t gotten anywhere near herd immunity.”
Also taking part in Wednesday’s luncheon were Susie Bowie, executive director of the Manatee Community Foundation; Karen Stewart, acting county administrator for Manatee County; and Jacki Dezelski, president and CEO of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
Bowie talked about the wide range of challenges that members of the community face because of the pandemic, including depression, lack of basic needs, and setbacks to learning.
“It will continue to be a challenge even as things begin to open back up. It’s time to think about the causes that are essential to our communities. Would a community be heart-broken if certain nonprofits did not exist?” she said.
Bowie also talked about the importance of the arts and museums as economic drivers, and for the need for them to be able to thrive.
Asked for her ah-ha moment during the pandemic, Bowie said it was during the Giving Challenge when she saw that those who could were willing to open their wallets and pocket books to help others.
“People were willing to give. It is our job to continue to ask for money. It was a hopeful moment,” Bowie said.
Stewart talked about how the county staff has $12 million for rental assistance, and how the county has worked to distribute $4.78 million in CARES money and to deliver $28.53 million in economic recovery funds to help prevent an economic crash. She also talked about Manatee County’s vaccination program, one of the first in the state.
Also important was the 311 program that fielded nearly 200,000 calls during the pandemic, and played a key role in launching the vaccination program at Tom Bennett Park. Stewart said.
Dezelski talked about how the Chamber of Commerce had to reinvent the way that it does business, and how members came to count on the Chamber in unprecedented ways. The Chamber became a source for information and connections, a sounding board, a convener, a collaborator and a communicator.
The Chamber set up new online resources, including recovermanatee.com,and the Manatee Strong Facebook page, held 24 webinars, and distributed 108,000 masks, she said.
