ANNA MARIA ISLAND – A tour of Anna Maria Island on Saturday revealed an Island wasting no time trying to return to normal as the first weekend of the governor’s phase one reopening plan unfolded.
With a two-hour parking limit in place, the parking lot at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach was already full shortly after 10 a.m. Additional cars were not allowed to wait in front of the main gate and were turned away and forced to circle around until other cars exited out another gate.
Manatee County Code Enforcement Officer Pete Chadziewicz said people were being patient, but growing more impatient with each unsuccessful pass by the gate.
“When we’re full, we’re full,” he said.
The beach itself was quite busy and social distancing was practiced with varied degrees of success.
The West Coast Surf Shop was open and the picnic tables at Skinny’s Place across the street were filled with outdoor diners.
After leaving the beach, Valrico residents Dana Kates, Shaun McCloskey and their three children hit the Ugly Grouper restaurant for lunch, where Kates and her 5-year-old son, Andrew, engaged in a joyous dance to the live music performed by Nick Lutz.
“This is the first time we’ve had the kids out in eight weeks. It feels pretty amazing,” Kates said.
“It’s Mother’s Day weekend. We had to get mom to the beach,” McCloskey added.
Down by the Anna Maria City Pier, folks gathered on the narrow beaches on both sides of the pier, joined by several boaters anchored just offshore.
Across the street, ice cream cones were enjoyed on Two Scoops’ waterfront patio.
Ginny’s and Jane E’s, Harry’s Grill, Poppo’s Taqueria, the Sandbar, Slim’s Place and The Waterfront restaurant were among the Anna Maria restaurants welcoming back their weekend patrons.
On Pine Avenue, Shiny Fish owner Rebecca Preston was happy to be back in the retail business, even at limited capacity.
“I’m thrilled to be open. We’ve seen a steady increase in visitors this week,” Preston said.
The beach in front of the Sandbar restaurant was a popular destination and so was nearby Bean Point.
The beach near the Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach was moderately busy, but the beachgoers were spread out.
Bridge Street was abuzz with activity, including those who enjoyed lunch and/or adult beverages at the Anna Maria Island Oyster Bar, the Bridge Tender Inn, the Daiquiri Deck, Blue Marlin Seafood, Island Time Bar & Grill, Oma’s Pizza and more.
People also visited the reopened retail establishments, including the Bridge Street Bazaar, where the clerks now work behind newly-installed Plexiglas shields.
Similar dining activities took place north of Cortez Road at the Gulf Drive Café, Wicked Cantina and Smoqehouse.
The Island’s stand-alone bars – the Drift In, Sports Lounge, Anchor Inn, D Coy Ducks and The Doctor’s Office – remain closed under the governor’s executive order.
Vacation rental check-ins are still prohibited according to the governor’s executive order, but out-of-town visitors and out-of-state license plates were a common sight.
A Tampa attorney recently filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis seeking to get the vacation rental ban lifted and DeSantis has not yet announced when vacation rental operations can legally resume.
DeSantis allowed hair and nail salons to reopen Monday with enhanced safety protocols, but he had not yet announced when the second phase of his reopening plan would begin.
Continued testing
When the reopening began on Monday, May 4, there had been a total of 619 reported COVID-19 cases in Manatee County, with 59 deaths and 162 hospitalizations. As increased testing continues, Manatee County had 783 reported COVID-19 cases, 178 hospitalizations and 74 deaths – 46 of which were attributed to nursing homes and assisted living facilities – as of Monday, May 11.
There was still only one reported COVID-19 case in Holmes Beach, one in Bradenton Beach (cruise ship-related) and none in Anna Maria. According to Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur, a positive case is attributed to the zip code shown on the driver’s license or ID of the person who tests positive.
