BRADENTON – Inspired by the recent death of George Floyd and the actions of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, a peaceful but impassioned protest occurred in downtown Bradenton Sunday afternoon.
Unlike what took place in other American cities last week, no physical confrontations between protestors and police ensued.
Despite the tension, protestors and police officers walked together toward the Manatee County Historic Courthouse. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The protesters assembled in the Village of the Arts at 1 p.m. near the corner of 12th Street West and 12th Avenue.
Holding a “Black Lives Matter” sign before the march began, Palmetto resident Betty Sailes Rhodes discussed the social and judicial inequities blacks and other minorities encounter.
“The system has got to change. Get your butt out and vote in November,” she said before the march to the Manatee County Historic Courthouse began.
Members of the Bradenton Police Department accompanied the protestors. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Accompanied by approximately 75 protestors, Rhodes, former Bradenton mayoral and city commission candidate Eleutario “Junior” Salazar, Pastor Arthur Huggins, Deedra Zee and Natasha Clemons served as the protest leaders and spokespeople.
Speaking through a bullhorn while perched on the Historic Courthouse steps, Salazar questioned whether black lives and the lives of other minorities really matter to local law enforcement officers and politicians.
Junior Salazar and Natasha Clemons addressed the protestors from the steps of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“You’re not here to protect me,” Salazar said to the dozen or so officers who accompanied the protestors and ensured their safety by stopping and redirecting traffic as they marched down busy city streets. Some officers traveled on foot, walking among, alongside or behind the protestors. Others rode in the police vehicles that assisted with traffic control.
Despite the harsh words and criticisms directed their way, the officers from the Bradenton Police Department never clashed with protestors or responded to the statements and chants they heard.
Before handing the bullhorn to Clemons, Salazar noted she lost her son in an incident involving local law enforcement officers.
Clemons said her son, Rodney Mitchell, was “killed execution style” seven years ago, six months after he graduated from college. She said the two officers involved in that incident later received pay increases and promotions.
“I’ve been peaceful and silent long enough,” Clemons said.
Many protestors conveyed their feelings with signs. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Zee and others called out another Bradenton police officer with an alleged history of mistreating minorities.
Zee said the community needs officers that won’t accept wrongful behavior by other officers.
“When you see that your fellow officers are abusing us, you stay silent. You made a choice to be a cop. I was born black. I don’t have any choice. Just because my skin is black doesn’t mean I’m a threat,” Zee said.
This young man created a list of talking points. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
One protester said any officer that condones what happened to George Floyd needs to take off their uniform, turn in their badge and never serve again.
Huggins said the protest was not just “a black thing,” nor was it just about George Floyd. He said it was also about local black men who’ve died at the hands of law enforcement officers – including Justin Stackhouse, who was shot and killed by a Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy near the Wal-Mart on Cortez Road in February.
“We’re here because we’re sick and tired. Enough is enough. Take your knee off our necks,” Huggins said.
Huggins led a prayer while protestors knelt for nine minutes in tribute to the length of time Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck.
In tribute to George Floyd, protestors kneeled for nine minutes in front of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The crowd then marched down Old Main Street to the Bradenton Police station where Salazar issued some unmet demands. Others spoke as well.
Salazar demanded Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan and Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston address the crowd and he noted no local politicians attended the protest.
The protest march made its way to the Bradenton Police station. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Salazar demanded a fully transparent police oversight committee to review complaints filed against officers.
Before the march resumed, Salazar, a man dressed as the Black Panther superhero character and others approached and peacefully confronted the officers who stood quietly on the other side of the hedges.
Outside the police station, protestors came face-to-face with police officers. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The officers then accompanied the protestors to the intersection of Ninth Street West and Third Avenue West, where the protestors blocked the intersection near the foot of the bridge before taking a knee for a few minutes and moving on.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the march proceeded south to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue West. After a brief pause, the protestors headed east on the street bearing the name of the late civil rights leader.
Protestors briefly blocked the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue West and Ninth Street West. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
JACKSONVILLE – Florida restaurants can increase their indoor seating capacity from 25% to 50% beginning Monday.
Retail operations can increase their capacity from 25% to 50% and gyms and fitness centers can reopen Monday at 50% capacity.
Bars, movie theaters and vacation rental operations remain prohibited statewide, but Gov. Ron DeSantis is now allowing individual counties to submit vacation rental reopening plans.
DeSantis announced these additional phase one reopening steps during his Friday afternoon press conference in Jacksonville. He said Florida is now headed into a full-fledged phase one reopening as a continuation of the initial phase one reopening strategies that started on May 4.
DeSantis set forth these additional measures in Executive Order 20-123. The order notes restaurants are no longer required to maintain a 6-foot distance between tables when expanding to 50% capacity.
“Bar counters are to remain closed to seating, and outdoor seating remains available with social distancing,” the order says.
Vacation rentals
During Friday’s press conference, DeSantis did not mention short-term vacation rentals until a member of the media asked about them. In response, DeSantis said he was not reopening short-term vacation rentals statewide, but individual counties can request short-term vacation rental openings.
According to EO 20-123, “Counties may seek approval to operate vacation rentals with a written request from the county administrator and the county’s safety plan for vacation rental operations submitted to the DBPR (Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation) secretary.”
A pending lawsuit against DeSantis seeks to lift the vacation rental ban entirely.
On Saturday, Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea addressed the governor’s announcement in an email she sent to county commissioners, Anna Maria Island mayors and others.
“I am sure you have been receiving emails and telephone calls asking you to reopen vacation rentals in Manatee County based on the governor’s county-by-county directive on Friday afternoon. Tourism remains the top industry in Manatee County and vacation rentals are a critical part of the tourism industry network that runs so successfully in our county and your city,” Coryea wrote in her email.
“The governor’s directive gives local governments the ability to present a safety plan for vacation rental opening rules to the state for consideration. Local standards are to be guidelines which are both acceptable to the local community and that align with the governor’s ‘Safe. Smart. Step-By-Step Plan for Reopening Florida.’ The governor’s Reopen Florida Plan is a set of benchmarks and guidelines under which we have already followed to craft our own return to work plan for county operations,” Coryea wrote.
Vacation rental reopenings can now be addressed on a county-by-county basis. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“In the coming days we will apply the same Safe. Smart. Step-By-Step guidelines for the board to consider that allow vacation rentals to reopen safely for visitors, vacation rental owners and hospitality staff. Your observations and experience in your city are important in this endeavor and will be considered as a part of the plan. As with all our reopening strategies to the County Commission, public health and safety will be at the forefront of the deliberations to address the vacation rental sector in Manatee County,” Coryea wrote in conclusion.
Coryea also distributed copies of a DBPR document containing additional information and safety measures for vacation rentals pursuant to EO 20-123, effective May 18 for counties that decide to allow vacation rentals.
The DBPR document says, “Effective May 18, the following measures are recommended as minimum standards for vacation rentals that are accepting reservations and guests for any length of stay:
“Maintain adequate time between the conclusion of a guest stay and the check-in of the next guest stay for appropriate cleaning and sanitation;
Clean and disinfect all frequently-touched surfaces in the property between each guest stay;
Wash all linens, dishware, and other service items available for use by guests between each guest rental;
Provide sufficient soap and surface sanitation supplies for guests to utilize in the vacation rental property during the guest’s rental period;
Ensure adequate safety protocols are in place and publicly displayed, in line with CDC guidance, regarding shared or multi-residence amenities such as pools, gyms, and other communal spaces.”
Effective May 18, DBPR also recommends the following best practices for vacation rentals that are accepting reservations and guests for any length of stay:
“Use mobile platforms for customer service and communication with guests, including the acceptance of payments by mobile or electronic methods;
Minimize direct guest contact with property owners or managers through remote check-in and check-out procedures;
Post signage or other notices regarding the cleaning practices that are completed prior to each guest stay;
Display signage or notices to guests in the rental property to frequently remind guests to take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the wiping and sanitation of touched surfaces.”
The county commission will meet on Tuesday, May 19 and the meeting agenda includes discussion of ongoing issues relative to the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency.
Bar protest planned
Bar owners and members of the Association of Independent Bar Owners of Manatee met with an attorney Saturday who volunteered to draft a letter to send to DeSantis and state legislators requesting that Florida’s bars and nightclubs be allowed to reopen.
Anna Maria Island’s stand-alone bars remain closed as the governor’s reopening plan expands. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Via executive order that took effect on March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day), DeSantis closed all Florida bars and nightclubs that generate more than 50% of their revenue from alcohol sales.
In conjunction with the attorney’s letter, an organized protest is scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon and begin between 3:30 and 4 p.m. at the Wade Thompson law office at 1720 Manatee Ave W. in Bradenton.
Organizers encourage protest participants to wear masks and gloves and practice social distancing to display the industry’s willingness to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines. Several Anna Maria Island bar owners and bartenders have indicated they plan to participate in Tuesday’s protest.
A petition to reopen Florida’s bars and nightclubs has also been initiated at www.MoveOn.org.
BRADENTON – Two Blake Medical Center nurses were reinstated today after being suspended for staging a peaceful protest last week over the hospital’s state of preparedness during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
During the protest, the nurses also expressed their concerns and fears about the lack of protective equipment being provided to the hospital’s nursing staff.
Two of three nurses who participated in the protest, Victoria Holland and Kim Brooks, were suspended. But today, Holland and Brooks were allowed to return to duty after going public with their concerns.
Speaking by phone while on a break this afternoon, Holland said, “I went back to work with no punishment. Today was our first day back.”
Holland said Brooks is now allowed to wear her own N95 mask while working, which is why Brooks was suspended.
“Kim has been wearing her own N95 all day,” Holland said.
Holland said she herself had not yet been provided with an N95 mask, but she didn’t currently have a patient that warranted her wearing one.
During Thursday’s protest, Holland expressed concerns about the hospital’s lack of transparency with the nursing staff regarding positive and potentially positive COVID-19 patients being treated at the hospital.
Holland said her chief nursing officer told her Monday morning that Blake Medical Center is now treating two patients who tested positive for COVID-19.
“I was told there are two positives and four rule-outs,” Holland said.
Holland said the rule-out designation is applied to a patient during the preliminary evaluation period while awaiting a positive or negative test result.
Holland was asked if she thought last week’s protest was a success.
“I’m sure we still have some work to do but we were pretty successful getting our points across. I feel there’s a lot more transparency and more understanding between the administration and the nursing staff,” Holland said.
She also said she felt safer working at the hospital on Monday than she did before she was suspended.
Nurses express concerns
Blake Medical Center is owned by the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). Located in Bradenton, Blake Medical Center is the closest hospital to Anna Maria Island.
Last week’s protest outside of Blake Medical Center coincided with similar protests that occurred at 15 HCA-owned hospitals nationwide last Wednesday and Thursday.
Coinciding with the shift change at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, Holland, Brooks and nurse Candice Cordero staged their protest between the hospital parking garage on the south side of 21st Avenue West and the hospital on the north side of the street.
As their incoming co-workers made their way from the garage to the hospital, the trio handed out single-page printouts that contained information provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding the steps a hospital or medical facility should provide its employees to help protect them from coronavirus infection.
They also held signs that contained the National Nurses United (NNU) COVID-19 Checklist. The NNU is the nurse’s labor union.
These Blake Medical Center nurses waived signs and shared informational printouts with their co-workers during last week’s protest. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Holland said she’s been a nurse at Blake Medical Center for the past two years. She also serves as a union representative.
“The nurses aren’t having any type of transparency when they have a COVID patient or a possible rule-out patient. We have no idea who’s negative and who’s positive. They don’t tell us anything. They tell us that would be a HIPAA violation (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act),” Holland said when interviewed by The Sun during the protest.
“They’ve also got all our PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) on lockdown and we have to get permission to get masks and other things to take care of our patients. If we’re not safe, our patients aren’t safe and our community’s not safe,” Holland said.
“I’ve been suspended since Sunday for fighting for PPEs in front of patients. My assistant chief nursing officer and my certified nursing officer told me I was causing a disturbance on the floor because I was trying to get PPE for my co-workers to take care of their patients,” Holland said.
“This is a $50 billion dollar for-profit organization who’s had experience with the H1NI virus and should always be prepared for anything like this. Having all our equipment on lockdown makes it hard to get the appropriate equipment to take care of patients and that is totally inappropriate. They provide us with these little paper masks to wear that are totally permeable and don’t protect you from anything,” Holland said.
Holland was asked if nurses were being provided with protective face shields.
“That’s one of the reasons I’m on suspension because I was fighting for a face shield for one of my co-workers whose patient was on droplet precautions. When a nurse had to care for a patient who was on droplet precautions and receiving aerosolized treatments, I felt the nurse needed a N95 mask and a face shield. She was given a surgical mask and I ended up giving her a pair of goggles – and that’s what she worked with throughout the night,” Holland said.
“We feel unsafe and we’re scared,” Holland said.
Holland was asked what she hoped the protest accomplished.
“For HCA to buckle down and keep us safe so we can contain this virus so it’s not out in the community; so we’re not spreading it amongst the patents, and so we’re not spreading it amongst our co-workers,” she said.
As of Monday afternoon, there were two patients who tested positive for COVID-19 being treated at Blake Medical Center, according to nurse Victoria Holland. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
N95 masks
Brooks has been at Blake Medical Center for the past 14 years.
“I was working on Monday and I was using my own N95 mask that I brought from home. I was told I was not allowed to wear that. And if I wanted to continue to wear it, I would have to go home. I’ve been on suspension and under investigation since and I’ve not heard anything from the hospital,” she said during Thursday’s protest.
Brooks said she was not told why she couldn’t wear her own N95 mask.
“I don’t know. I asked them,” she said.
“I wanted to make sure I could protect myself and my family and I felt there was a need to wear an N95. We don’t know who’s negative and who’s positive and I wanted to do that for my safety. I’ve been a nurse for over 25 years and I’ve never been treated this way before. I’m disappointed. They’ve known the need to arrange for the proper supplies and the proper amount of supplies since January and we feel that has fallen by the wayside,” Brooks said.
“Every nurse and staff member going into that hospital should have a N95 to protect themselves. We don’t want to wait until something happens and then end up with nursing staff becoming positive. We don’t want to bring this home to our families,” Brooks said.
“I’m also disappointed with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for rolling back their guidelines. To say that this is not an airborne virus, to say this is a droplet transmitted virus because there are not enough supplies and equipment is shameful. Research has shown that this virus stays airborne for three hours, so a N95 is the safest mask to use,” Brooks said.
Candice Cordero has been a nurse at Blake Medical Center for 19 years. Unlike Holland and Brooks, she was not suspended.
“I’m out here because I want to make sure the nurses have the protection they need so we can keep our community safe and help stop the spread once it gets to our area. We don’t have that many cases right now, but it’s coming. If the nurses start getting sick, who’s going to care for the patients?” Cordero said.
Blake response
On Friday, April 3, The Sun contacted Blake Medical Center spokesperson Lisa Kirkland via email and sought a response from the hospital regarding the concerns expressed during Thursday’s protest.
Kirkland responded later that day via email.
“HCA Healthcare West Florida is doing everything it can to equip our patient care teams to provide safe, effective care to the people we serve, unwavering in our dedication despite the unique challenges presented by COVID-19. The National Nurses Union is trying to use this crisis to advance its own interest—organizing more members,” Kirkland wrote.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our goal has been to protect our frontline clinicians and caregivers, so they are able to continue to care for our patients and community. The pandemic has strained the worldwide supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, face shields, and gowns – a challenge that is not unique to us or any other hospital or health system in the United States,” Kirkland wrote.
Administration officials at Blake Medical Center say they are doing all they can to protect nurses and other staff members. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“While we are doing everything in our power to secure additional supplies, and we are following CDC protocols for using and conserving PPE, the worldwide shortage is a reality that we are addressing with realistic, workable solutions.
“The steps we have taken include:
Enacting universal masking for all of our employees;
Appointing a PPE Steward to oversee priority deployment of PPE;
Creating strategically located PPE distribution centers across our campus to quickly deliver equipment,” Kirkland wrote.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is unique, and our colleagues’ concerns are real. In this unparalleled crisis, everyone should stand together to support our nurses, and not spread misinformation and fear to advance other agendas,” Kirkland wrote.
On Monday afternoon, Kirkland was contacted via email and asked if the hospital administration wanted to comment on the suspended nurses returning to duty.
“No thank you,” she wrote in her response.
