ANNA MARIA ISLAND – COVID-19 will keep most Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers off the beaches as sea turtle and bird nesting seasons begin, according to Director Suzi Fox.
Turtle nesting season begins officially on May 1, but Turtle Watch volunteers usually take to the beach on April 1 each year to catch any early nesters, and already, an early loggerhead nest has been discovered on Florida’s east coast, she said.
“We need to make sure we don’t miss any nests,” said Fox, who, with another volunteer, will monitor the beaches by ATV and let the organization’s other volunteers remain safely at home for the near future.
Depending on the progress of the coronavirus, a “skeleton crew” of about a dozen volunteers on ATVs could be deployed in May, she said.
You can follow Turtle Watch’s activities on its newly-redesigned website, www.islandturtlewatch.com.
“We have to make sure the workers are safe,” Fox said. “I don’t want volunteers on the beach until this thing has passed.”
COVID-19 has affected Turtle Watch financially, too, she said, with a large source of donations drying up with the cancellation of the Farmer’s Market.
In addition, Turtle Talks have been suspended until further notice, she said, adding, “We will not be meeting face to face for at least the next two months.”
The group also monitors spring bird nesting, roping off nesting areas to keep eggs and chicks safe.
So far this year, Fox has seen black skimmers gathering at Coquina Beach and some royal terns “looking amorously at each other,” she said, adding that no snowy plovers have appeared on local beaches yet.
Ruddy turnstones, which leave by summer, are active, and a lesser black back gull has been spotted, she added.
One or two of the gulls, which are noticeably larger than most other birds on the beach, usually come each spring and leave by summer, Fox said.
Turtle Watch will be coordinating with Manatee County on the upcoming beach renourishment project, which will be done during sea turtle nesting season, she said.
The start date for the beach renourishment project is not confirmed, according to Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department, but the coronavirus has not yet affected other dredge operations in the U.S., he said.
The beach renourishment project originally slated to begin in February was delayed until April by an Army Corps of Engineers requirement that Manatee County prove its title to a section of the beach.
The six-month, two-phase project will add sand to the beach between 78th Street North in Holmes Beach to Fifth Street South in Bradenton Beach, and between Fifth Street South and Longboat Pass.
County funds for the project, estimated between $13-$16 million, come from the tourist tax; state and federal funds also are allocated to the project.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Manatee County’s public beaches on Anna Maria Island are closed until further notice as of Friday, March 20.
Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Bean Point in Anna Maria March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Anna Maria beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Bradenton Beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Anna Maria Island beaches March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach March 21-22. - Troy Morgan | PhotosFromTheAir.com
The beach closures are a precautionary measure being taken because of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
On Thursday, March 19, Manatee County issued a press release that said, “County and municipal officials today announced that the beaches of Anna Maria Island will close tomorrow, March 20, at 6 a.m.”
“Resort guests, those who live on the Island and those who can find a legal public parking space outside of those areas that are closed will still have access to the beach at this time. We still want you to keep the six-foot distance and no groups larger than 10.” – Lt. John Cosby, BBPD
The press release also said, “Manatee County lifeguards will remain on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to ensure the safety of those who disregard the closure. A double red flag indicating no swimming will fly from lifeguard stands.”
The gates at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach remain locked. – Joe Hendricks
The county-owned parking lots at Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach closed Friday morning as announced. So did the parking lot at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. The gates at Coquina Beach and Manatee Beach are locked and signs affixed to the gates say, “Beach closed.”
The ungated Cortez Beach parking areas along Gulf Drive South are closed and blocked by barricades, plastic tape and “Beach closed” signs.
The Cortez Beach parking lots in Bradenton Beach are closed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Intended enforcement
Thursday afternoon, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer issued a press release in response to the county’s announcement.
“The Holmes Beach Police Department and Code Compliance Department are enforcing this policy by eliminating public parking. We will continue to proactively patrol the beach to be sure our residents and guests are following the guidance of social distancing. Many additional parking areas will be changed to no parking zones. The enforcement guidelines will change based on the daily observations,” according to Tokajer’s press release.
These Bradenton Beach police officers were stationed at the main Coquina Beach entrance Friday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Lt. John Cosby, of the Bradenton Beach Police Department, said, “Resort guests, those who live on the Island and those who can find a legal public parking space outside of those areas that are closed will still have access to the beach at this time. We still want you to keep the six-foot distance and no groups larger than 10.”
Cosby and Tokajer said they had no plans to close the street-end beach accesses.
The beach accesses in Holmes Beach remain open. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Friday morning, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy issued an email addressing the city of Anna Maria’s beach closures.
“Although our beaches remain closed to the general public, they are open to residents and their guests while practicing safe social distancing. There are sheriff deputies as well as city and county code enforcement officers posted at many beach access points to enforce and clarify this position,” according to Murphy’s email.
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells addressed the beach closures during a county press conference Friday afternoon.
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said law enforcement does not want to arrest people who enter the closed beaches. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“First and foremost, I want to assure the citizens of Manatee County that we are not out on the beaches trying to arrest people who do show up there and maybe have not received the message. We are asking for voluntary compliance. We are not there trying to incarcerate people for walking on the beach. That is not the goal,” Wells said.
When asked for further clarification on the extent of the beach closures, Manatee County Information Outreach Manager Nick Azzara said, “In the announcement we sent yesterday, when we closed the beaches, we tried to make clear that this was largely a self-policing exercise and that we were relying on our residents and visitors to make a good faith effort in heeding those warnings. We’re asking people to avoid the beaches.”
Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur said there were no plans to close the county boat ramps.
The parking lots at the Coquina boat ramps are supposed to be used by boaters only. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Tour of the beaches
The Sun made a tour of the Island beaches on Friday.
At Coquina Beach late Friday morning, two officers and two vehicles from the Bradenton Beach Police Department were stationed at the main entrance where the gate was open so the free Island trolley could continue making its regular stops.
The beach concession stand was closed and there were only two people walking the shoreline of the otherwise empty beach.
Across the street, the North and South Coquina boat ramps were open to boaters. Manatee Beach Patrol personnel were stationed at the entrances to both boat ramp parking lots and they turned away those who sought to park there for non-boating purposes.
To the north along Cortez Beach, there were people on the beach, but not in large numbers.
The beach between the Moose Lodge and the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach had a moderate number of beachgoers. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Slightly north of that, there were people on the beach between the Moose Lodge and the BeachHouse restaurant, some in the water.
At approximately 3:45 p.m., there were fewer than a dozen people at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach and the central part of the beach was empty. The beach areas south of Manatee Beach were much busier.
The central section of Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach was empty Friday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Because of the executive order that Gov. Ron DeSantis issued Friday afternoon limiting Florida restaurants to takeout service only, the tiki bar was already closed. The AMI Beach Café and gift shop closed later that day and remains closed until further notice.
Two blocks north of Manatee Beach, the 45th Street beach access was open as usual. There were people on the beach, but not in large numbers. The beach areas north of the 45th Street beach access were much busier.
The beach north of the 45th Street beach access in Holmes Beach was very busy Friday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Those entering the city of Anna Maria at the north end of the Island are now greeted by a digital sign that says, “Beaches closed.” A similar sign stands near the new City Pier.
The Bayfront Park parking lot is closed and blocked by “Beach closed” signs and plastic tape.
There are two new mounted “Beach closed” signs at the entrance to the North Bay Boulevard beach access that leads to Bean Point.
“Beach closed” signs are now posted at beach accesses in Anna Maria.- Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy told The Sun he plans to add additional signs that say, “Residents only.” He said city residents may be asked to provide identification and rental guests may be asked to show proof of rental when accessing Anna Maria’s beaches.
Vacationing Wisconsin residents Mary and Ralph Cornell were parking their bikes by the dune walkover before taking a walk on the Bean Point beach.
Wisconsin residents Ralph and Mary Cornell want to continue visiting the beaches while vacationing in Anna Maria. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding the beach closings, Mary Cornell said, “I think it’s the wise thing to do. They’re just trying to keep the number of people down, but it allows the local residents and people like us who stay for a long period of time to walk the beach. We don’t gather in big groups. We just want to be able to see the beach and the sunsets. You have great sunsets here and we really don’t want to miss those.”
There were about 20 people on that stretch of the Bean Point beach, including a few families.
These folks enjoyed the beach at Bean Point Friday late Friday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Just after sunset, there were still many cars parked at the Palma Sola Causeway on Manatee Avenue despite the presence of several “Beach closed” signs.
At 10:30 Saturday morning, an occupied police car from the Bradenton Police Department was parked at the east end of the non-barricaded causeway parking area. There was no one on the beach and no other cars parked on either side of the causeway.
The Bradenton Police Department patrolled the causeway beaches on Saturday. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When contacted Saturday afternoon, Lt. Cosby said everything was going fine and they had not had any problems.
Updated Monday, March 23 | There are 1,227 reported positive cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida and 18 reported deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard. In Manatee County, there are 15 positive cases and one reported death. The age range for the Manatee County cases is 14 to 81 years old, with an average age of 64. Eight of the positive cases are men, seven are women and seven positive cases were hospitalized. Sarasota County has 21 reported positive cases and one reported death. Pinellas County has 41 reported cases and one reported death. Hillsborough County has 75 reported cases and no deaths. The FDOH Dashboard is updated at least twice daily.
MANATEE COUNTY – A Manatee County resident has died after testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Manatee County death reported on Tuesday was the first reported COVID-19 related death in Manatee County.
“One person has died in Manatee County who tested positive for COVID-19,” said the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) press release issued Tuesday evening.
At that time, there were seven COVID-19 related death in Florida, according to FDOH.
This evening, the FDOH announced an eighth Florida death, which was in Clay County.
As of 7 p.m. this evening, the FDOH COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard listed eight reported COVID-19 cases in Manatee County.
According to the FDOH Dashboard, 45 tests had been administered in Manatee County, with eight positive tests, 27 negative tests and 10 test results still pending. Five of the positive reported Manatee County case were men and three were women. The age range was 61-81 years old. Only one of the eight reported cases in Manatee County was listed as travel-related.
As of 7 p.m., there were 328 reported COVID-19 positive cases in Florida. According to the FDOH Dashboard, there were 80 reported cases in Broward County, 77 reported cases in Miami-Dade County and 21 reported cases in Palm Beach County. Those three southeast Florida counties accounted for 178 of reported positive cases – 54 percent of the reported cases in Florida.
Sarasota County had four reported cases. Hillsborough County had 14 cases.
County buildings closed
On Tuesday, March 17, Manatee County issued a press release announcing several county closings.
“In accordance with the President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America, which recommend avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people, Manatee County Government will be closing all public buildings to the public for walk-in services for the next 15 days. All buildings will remain closed beginning at 8 a.m. on March 18,” Tuesday’s press release said.
“County staff will continue to serve the public and services will continue to operate. The public is encouraged to conduct transactions with the County online or over the phone whenever possible. Citizens can call 3-1-1 for more information.”
The list of public buildings now closed includes:
The County Administration Building;
All Manatee County Public Library locations, including the Island Branch Library. Online resources are still available for check out and late materials fines and fees will be forgiven;
Manatee County Animal Services locations;
T. Bray Recreation Center – all athletic league games and other organized events are canceled;
The Bradenton Area Convention Center;
All locations for Building and Development Services and Veterans Services;
The Utilities Administration Building;
The Manatee County Clerk of Court Historic Courthouse;
The Manatee County Property Appraiser office.
Manatee County Area Transit services will continue to operate as normal, including Handy Bus services.
In the press release, County Administrator Cheri Coryea is quoted as saying, “Transit Services remain a vital service for individuals without access to essentials such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and medical appointments.”
“Manatee County parks, outdoor amenities, preserves and beaches remain open for now and the public is encouraged to exercise social distancing when out in public places. Under the Governor’s order, beaches may remain open but restricted to 10 persons in each group and a distance of six feet between parties,” the press release said.
In the press release, Coryea said, “This is an hour-by-hour emergency event and should a new directive need to be implemented to further protect the public we will make that call.”
According to the press release, all public county meetings during the next 15 days will be canceled or rescheduled.
HOLMES BEACH – Amid growing COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, concerns, Mayor Judy Titsworth declared a temporary state of emergency March 17. The state of emergency will last for seven days before it will either expire or another state of emergency will need to be declared.
Under the state of emergency, the city is eligible for federal and state emergency funds, if needed.
As of March 18, eight cases of patients with the coronavirus in Manatee County had been confirmed by the Florida Department of Health.
For residents and visitors to Holmes Beach, the declared state of emergency means that Titsworth may limit or suspend the sale of alcoholic beverages, establish a curfew and stop price gouging, among other things. Currently, no restrictions have been placed on Holmes Beach residents and visitors though everyone is encouraged by city, state and federal leaders to practice social distancing, limit gatherings to 10 people or less and wash hands regularly.
Some business owners have restrictions placed on them but those have come from the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis required all bars and nightclubs in the state of Florida to close for a 30-day period beginning at 5 p.m. on March 17. Restaurants can still operate, however, they are required to operate at 50% seating capacity for the safety of staff and diners.
Local schools also are affected by the coronavirus with schools, including Anna Maria Elementary School, shuttered until April 15. Manatee County School District employees will return to work for the week of March 23-27 to complete instructions for K-12 students to continue learning at home beginning March 30 using a remote learning program called Schoology. Students will be able to work online from home and communicate with their teachers through the program.
State testing and school grades for the year are canceled by DeSantis with students to have the option of moving forward next school year or remaining in their current grade.
ANNA MARIA – After taking into consideration guidance from the National Centers for Disease Control and the concerns of parishioners, leadership at Roser Memorial Community Church made the decision March 17 to close the church’s doors to the public, temporarily moving all worship services online.
The closure of the church building has caused the cancellation of the popular senior aerobics class RoserRobics and the church’s annual Easter cantata, planned for March 29 as well as other programming.
For now, everyone is invited to join the church online with both the 10 a.m. Sunday traditional worship service and the 5:30 p.m. Sunday SoulJourn contemporary worship service being broadcast live online. Previous worship services can be viewed any time on the church’s YouTube channel.
In addition to the Sunday worship services, regular bible studies also will continue online at the church’s website. Terrific Tuesday bible studies will take place live online at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays with previous sessions available to view on YouTube at any time.
All other planned church events and meals are currently canceled.
The Roser Thrift Shop also is temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns.
The Roser Food Pantry remains open to those in need by appointment only. Please call the church office at 941-778-0414 to schedule an appointment or if you wish to drop off a donation. Recommended items for donation include cereal, soup, canned fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and dried rice, potatoes and pasta. For more information, visit the food pantry online.
LONGBOAT KEY – The Resort at Longboat Key Club is dealing with an individual’s potential exposure to the coronavirus virus (COVID-19).
On Friday, March 13, Resort at Longboat Key Club Managing Director Rick Konsavage addressed this matter in the resort’s weekly newsletter.
“It goes without saying that we are currently living through an extraordinary time and as many businesses throughout the world are being affected by the threat of COVID-19, we at the Longboat Key Club are also feeling the impact,” according to the March 13 newsletter signed by Konsavage.
“We have just been informed by our local hospital that an individual working in our outdoor golf facility at The Links course where a few of our members have private lessons may have been exposed to COVID-19. While this does not include Longboat Key Club staff currently, we are taking immediate actions including isolation to anyone having physical contact with this person. There may be some minor disruptions through this transition in our golf operations in the next two weeks,” the newsletter said.
“If there is anything that our Longboat Key team can do to assist you through this stressful and challenging time, please let us know. We wish you and your families the best of health,” the March 13 newsletter said in conclusion.
March 14 update
On Saturday, March 14, Konsavage and the Resort at Longboat Key Club distributed a written update referred to as a “communiqué.”
“The club has decided to implement the second stage of preventive measures for the protection of members and employees,” the March 14 communiqué said.
The March 14 communiqué said the club is implementing the following measures on or before March 16 and all activities and suspended activities will be reevaluated on March 30.
According to the March 14 communiqué, the suspended activities include:
Suspension of fitness center operation and wellness activities such as yoga, etc.;
A complete deep cleaning and sanitation process will be implemented in the facility, including all studios, locker rooms and equipment to be fully sanitized and disinfected;
All group activities and meetings are suspended for two weeks;
All group lessons in tennis, golf and wellness are suspended for two weeks;
There will be no buffets at any outlets in our club or resort for two weeks.
The March 14 communiqué went on to say: “For the safety or our club members, we request:
No access to the Club for members and immediate household family and registered caregivers within 14 days of returning from any country that self-isolation or quarantine is required by the U.S. Government;
No access to the Club for any member and/or immediate household family and registered caregiver if exhibiting the following symptoms that could be COVID-19: shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fever, cough, muscle aches and tiredness;
No access to the Club for any member and/or immediate household family and registered caregiver if they have knowledge of being exposed to an individual or individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.”
The March 14 communiqué stated all magazines and newspapers were being removed from the Club due to the difficulty of sanitizing those items.
“The club has suspended any handshakes or physical touch until further notice,” the communiqué said.
“Employees in designated departments are wearing gloves for their personal protection,” it also said.
The communiqué said the Club will continue to monitor the information, recommendations and restrictions through the CDC and the Florida Department of Health.
“By working together, we will do our best in providing a healthy and safe environment for all,” Konsavage’s March 14 communiqué said in conclusion.
The Sun’s efforts to reach resort officials directly by telephone and social media proved unsuccessful. Phone calls transferred to the resort’s executive office resulted only in the ability to leave a voice mail. Efforts to contact the resort via Facebook Messenger produced an automated response unrelated to the potential coronavirus exposure.
BRADENTON – The Manatee Health Department has set up the Manatee Health Line, a phone number that residents are asked to call first if they believe they may have coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the following persons to be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19:
Anyone showing symptoms of the disease, including fever, cough and shortness of breath;
Anyone who has been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19; and
Anyone who has recently traveled from a country or area with widespread or ongoing spread of COVID-19.
Manatee residents who believe they may have COVID-19 are asked to call the Manatee Health Line before visiting health care providers.
Manatee Health continues to encourage the public to exercise prevention tips:
– Wash your hands often with soap and water.
– Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
– Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
– Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow (not your hands) if a tissue is not available.
– Try not to touch your face with unwashed hands.
– Frequently clean and disinfect touched surfaces.
– Don’t touch or shake hands with people who are sick.
– Stay home when you’re sick and keep your children home when they’re sick.
The Manatee Health Line number is 941-242-6649. Experts are on duty 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Department of Health runs a hotline that anyone who believes they may have coronavirus can call as well. The number is 866-779-6121 and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Experts will interview callers to determine whether they are at risk for having COVID-19 based on travel history, contact with confirmed cases and other factors.
“Calling the health department ahead of time allows us to coordinate with the health care system to assure appropriate infection control measures in our community,” Manatee Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie said. “It also meets the guidelines laid out in Section 3 of the statewide Declaration of Public Health Emergency issued on March 1.”
The Department of Health (DOH) routinely updates case counts, prevention tips, worldwide developments, reputable links and more at its COVID-19 web page.
Any questions that the web page cannot answer can be phoned into the State Health Office hotline at 866-779-6121 or emailed to covid-19@health.gov.
Manatee Health continues to work with local partners – hospitals, clinics, government, schools, businesses, emergency management, law enforcement, tourist development and more – to shape messaging and address specific concerns.
MANATEE COUNTY – The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) has announced that a Manatee County resident is one of the first two people in Florida to presumptively test positive for the coronavirus.
“The Florida Department of Health had announced there are two presumptive positive cases of 2019 coronavirus disease, COVID-19, in Florida. Both individuals remain in isolation at this time. Despite these cases in Florida, the overall immediate threat to the public remains low,” according to the FDOH’s two-page written announcement.
“The first patient is an adult Manatee County resident without travel history to countries identified for restricted travel by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This person did seek health care, is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials,” the FDOH announcement said.
“The Florida Department of Health is working closely with the patient, their close contacts and health care providers to isolate and monitor persons who may have been exposed to COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough or shortness of breath,” the announcement said.
“The second patient is an adult resident of Hillsborough County with a history of travel to Italy. This person is isolated and will continue. There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus,” according to the announcement.
The health department recommends avoiding close contact with people who are sick, staying home when you are sick, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, washing your hands often and cleaning and disinfecting frequently-touched objects and surfaces.
When addressing the media on Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed the two cases reported in Florida. He reiterated the FDOH statement about the threat currently being low to others, but he acknowledged additional cases are expected.
Hospital issues statement
On March 1, The Doctors Hospital of Sarasota issued a written statement that said, “Doctors Hospital of Sarasota has been notified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that we have a patient in our facility who presumptively tested positive for COVID-19. The patient was admitted to our facility in late February and remains in our care.
“On Friday, Feb. 28, the CDC changed its guidance regarding COVID-19, specifically the criteria for persons under investigation, which consequently led the patient to be tested. Upon recognizing that the patient was a potential COVID-19 case, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota immediately and appropriately activated all protocols for handling potential COVID-19 cases, including immediate isolation.
“All potentially exposed employees and providers have been identified and the hospital is communicating with them to answer questions and provide additional information. We are working very closely with the local and state departments of health as well as the CDC to assure that we continue to take all appropriate precaution,” according to the Doctors Hospital statement.
