Three non-vaccinated Port Manatee employees catch COVID after outbreak, officials say
After a deadly COVID-19 outbreak that led to the temporary shutdown of the county government administration building in downtown Bradenton, Manatee officials say they have also confirmed three cases at Port Manatee.
According to County Administrator Scott Hopes, three security personnel at the port tested positive for the novel coronavirus over the weekend. Neither of those employees had received vaccines to be protected against the virus, he said.
The news of three more infections among county staff follows Friday’s announcement that two employees in the county’s Information Technology department had died from COVID-19, prompting an emergency shutdown of the building.
“As you know, we had an urgent situation last Friday following the death of a second employee,” Hopes said during a Monday afternoon press conference. “Since that time, the health department has conducted their preliminary epidemiological investigation. In addition to that, we had the entire building over the weekend vacated, sanitized and disinfected, including fogging and wiping down every surface in every office.”
As of Monday morning, Hopes said there were no new cases of COVID-19 reported among the employees at the county’s government headquarters. An estimated 700 people work in the nine-story building on Manatee Avenue West every day.
Hopes announced that Port Manatee’s COVID-19 infections occurred last week. One of those employees has already returned to work, he said.
“Port Manatee encourages staff and visitors who are not fully vaccinated to practice COVID-19 measures, including the use of N95 or equivalent masks and social distancing,” said Virginia Zimmerman, a spokeswoman for Port Manatee. “The port provides masks for those wanting to use them.”
Zimmerman said two of the employees who tested positive remain at home while they wait for negative test results. She added that those employees are expected to return to work soon.
The Department of Health in Manatee is still working on contact tracing to determine how the disease may have been spread among county employees. As of Monday morning, the outbreak is thought to be contained to the county’s IT department.
Five non-vaccinated employees in that department tested positive last week and two of them died. A sixth IT Department staffer who had been in close contact with his co-workers did not catch the virus, Hopes said. That person had received their COVID-19 vaccine.
“This particular outbreak demonstrates the effectiveness, I believe, with the vaccine,” said Hopes, who holds a degree in epidemiology. “All of the cases were non-vaccinated. We know individuals in these departments who did not contract the infection from their co-workers.”
It’s unclear whether the county’s IT Department provided in-person assistance at Port Manatee. Hopes said DOH-Manatee is still working on a timeline that details how the virus may have been spread.
Masks are optional at county building after outbreak
Immediately following the administration building’s shutdown, county leaders said masks, social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures would be implemented in the public building, but officials reversed course on Saturday.
In a message to county employees on Saturday, Hopes said masks would continue to be optional for employees and visitors. On Monday, Hopes explained that Friday’s reinstatement of COVID-19 safety protocols came before he knew that the infections had all been among those who were not vaccinated.
“Saturday morning we became aware from the health department that we had vaccinated individuals who did not contract the virus,” he said. “Therefore, the position on Saturday was a recommendation that if you’re not vaccinated and you’re a visitor or an employee entering the building, it’s strongly recommended that you wear a mask and not just any mask — that you wear an N-95- or a KN-95-equivalent mask, which is the type of mask that protects the wearer from contracting the virus as well as others should the wearer have the virus.”
Hopes, who revealed Friday that he had concerns about the Board of County Commissioners’ vote on May 11 to remove COVID-19 safety measures in county-owned buildings, said he continues to wear a mask anytime he walks through the building.
In a Monday morning Facebook post, Commissioner George Kruse urged county employees to make decisions that keep others safe.
“Please be safe and remember that while we each are fortunate to have personal freedoms to make our own decisions, we should always strive to keep ourselves, our coworkers and others around us safe to the best of our abilities,” wrote Kruse, who initially called for the removal of mandatory safety measures at the county’s May 11 public meeting.
“We are one big family within Manatee County Government; let’s treat each other and their well-being as we would our own family members,” he added.
The county’s decision to remove COVID-19 safety regulations came just days after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed executive orders that prevent private businesses or government entities from requiring proof of vaccination. At the time, commissioners stressed the importance of personal responsibility and said that the vaccine was readily available for anyone who wanted to receive it.
As of Friday, the Florida Department of Health said about 55% of Manatee County’s eligible residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
This story was originally published June 21, 2021 at 2:30 PM.
