Stay informed about COVID-19. Manatee officials want you to sign up for these alerts
Bradenton, Palmetto and Manatee County officials are urging the public to sign up for the CodeRED emergency alert system to get the latest information on what local governments are doing, or not planning to do, due to the novel coronavirus.
Officials advised residents to be prepared and to have the latest information. They also urged residents to remain calm.
“I would just ask everybody to observe the guidelines they are putting out such as washing your hands and avoid touching your face,” said Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant. “Use level heads and use all precautions but more importantly look out for each other. Be respectful to others.”
Manatee County on Friday announced that scheduled county commission work sessions for next week are postponed. Other county operations will continue as normal.
County government spokesman Nick Azzara said the county had no plans to use the Code Red system because of the coronavirus, “unless necessary. We reserve the system for the most urgent messages to the public,” he said.
“We are all monitoring the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation very closely, and we do not believe now is the time for any further actions,” said Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea.
Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston initiated a robocall Friday morning urging resident to sign up for the emergency alert system, not only because of the coronavirus, but because it’s a valuable tool in all emergency situations.
“Whether it’s the scene we are facing now, or severe weather or a missing child, our city uses CodeRED,” Poston said. “This free service delivers emergency information directly to you via phone, text message or email. You can choose how you would like to be alerted. I encourage all businesses and residents in our city to sign up.”
The CodeRED systems are unique to the county and to the cities, but they are tied into one larger system. Bryant said Palmetto residents who sign up for the city’s CodeRED system would get information relevant to the city, as well as the county.
“We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, so people don’t need to sign up for the city’s system and the county’s,” Bryant said. “We work with the health department and the county so all relevant information is given to our citizens through a common network.”
For those reasons, if you are a resident of Palmetto or Bradenton, it’s good to sign up for the system through your city.
To sign up for Bradenton’s CodeRED system, visit the city’s website at cityofbradenton.com. Poston said city staff also are on hand to help anyone sign up by calling 941-932-9400.
Visit Palmetto’s website at palmettofl.org to learn how to sign up for either computer or mobile alerts.
Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur said the county’s message to the public hasn’t changed.
“The risk of contracting COVID-19 remains low for most local residents, but I want all Manatee County residents to take smart precautions to avoid spreading the virus,” Saur said.
Visit Manatee County’s website at mymanatee.org to learn how to sign up for CodeRED alerts.
Manatee County also is keeping residents up to date on its Coronavirus-devoted page at mymanatee.org.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Stay informed about COVID-19. Manatee officials want you to sign up for these alerts."