BRADENTON BEACH – The city of Bradenton Beach has confirmed that at least one city employee has tested positive for COVID-19.
City Clerk Terri Sanclemente said the city will not identify the employee or confirm other cases in an Aug. 20 email response to an inquiry by The Sun.
“As you are aware, we are a very small city and have to protect the citizens’ and employees’ rights at all costs. With that being said, we have had an employee test positive for the COVID-19 virus. The city does not disclose how many or the names of the impacted individuals,” Sanclemente’s email said.
“The city has implemented protocols in our workplace to help protect both its citizens and employees. There is a checklist that is done every day, and employees are taking temperatures as well as any citizens. We have signs stating you must wear a mask when entering city hall and sanitizing stations at the front and rear entrance, along with sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer and Gamma-MENE spray,” Sanclemente’s email said.
“We are also following the CDC’s guidelines. We are doing our very best to keep everyone’s rights protected and not trying to violate any state or federal laws when replying to questions like yours,” Sanclemente wrote in her response to The Sun.
“Please see the attached policy we have applied historically in the city, and the mayor provides clarification as needed,” her email concluded.
The policy Sanclemente provided is a copy of a 2009 city resolution that pertains to communicable diseases and references the H1N1 virus.
“The supervisor or mayor, after consultation, may order a city board or committee member, city volunteer, independent contractor or employee home if that person reports or shows signs or symptoms of a communicable disease. Persons sent home pursuant to this resolution will not be allowed to return to city facilities or work until they are able to furnish proof or certification from an individual or facility duly licensed to practice medicine that there is no threat of a communicable disease,” the resolution states.
“Employees sent home pursuant to this resolution shall use sick leave time until it is exhausted and then they may use vacation and/or personal days,” the resolution states.
“The supervisor or mayor shall take all necessary measures to ensure that all city facilities exposed to a communicable disease are cleaned and disinfected,” the resolution states.
When a positive COVID-19 test result occurs, that result is reported in association with the tested person’s home zip code and it is not attributed to the person’s workplace or the location where the test occurred.
COVID-19 Data
According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Saturday, Aug. 22 daily COVID-19 data report, 27 positive COVID-19 cases had been reported in Bradenton Beach since the local pandemic began in March.
According to Saturday’s report, there had been 18 reported cases in Holmes Beach, three in Anna Maria, three in Cortez, 6,849 in Bradenton and 10,014 reported cases in Manatee County.
According to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) COVID-19 Data Dashboard, an additional 109 non-county residents have tested positive.
According to the COVID-19 Dashboard, 705 people have been hospitalized in Manatee County with COVID-19 since the pandemic began. According to the FDOH daily update, 43 individuals were currently hospitalized in Manatee County with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 as of Saturday evening.
According to the FDOH Dashboard, 248 people have died in Manatee County with COVID-19, with 117 (47%) of those deaths attributed to residents or employees of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other long-term care facilities.
From Saturday, Aug. 15 to Friday, Aug. 21, 455 new positive COVID-19 cases were reported in Manatee County. Since Aug. 1, the number of daily reported cases has declined or held steady and there have not been significant daily increases similar to those in July.
As of Saturday, the overall percent positive of all those tested in Manatee County was 11%; the percent positive of those tested the prior day was 3.82%.
