COVID cases ‘picking up’

Posted on October 16, 2020

The local Florida Department of Health in Taylor County (DOH-Taylor) is still encouraging face masks, social distancing and suggests restricting gatherings to no more than 10 people, after reporting that local COVID-19 cases are “really picking up.”

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, DOH-Taylor Public Information Officer Martine Young presented the department’s most recent local data on the coronavirus pandemic.

“Things are improving, things are opening back up, but unfortunately that is not what we are seeing here locally,” Young said.

The first two weeks of October have yielded 70 new positive coronavirus cases, with a 14.6% positive rate over a seven-day average, bringing Taylor County’s total to 1,408.

“There are a lot of small clusters. It is not the prison. It is community. It is definitely community spread we are seeing,” Young said.

While Taylor County’s corrections-related positive cases make up 53% (or 746) of the local positive test results, there have been no new positive cases from Taylor Correctional Institution in more than two weeks.

According to Young, DOH-Taylor is seeing more close-contact positive cases, which they attribute to family units or close friends.

When asked specifically by council members about COVID-19 spread in schools and churches, Young responded, “We actually have not seen a lot in the schools yet. We have had some cases linked to churches, but I would not say that is where the big upswing in spread has come from.”

City Manager Taylor Brown told council members he would be bringing a recommendation back at the city’s Oct. 27 meeting concerning the City of Perry’s COVID-19 emergency plan, which includes how the public can access city offices, if city-owned buildings will be open to the public, employee staffing plans and whether the city will continue to work in staggered shifts.

Brown also asked for the city council’s direction on its face mask ordinance, pointing out that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had issued new orders removing the penalties for those being cited for not wearing face masks.

“I wanted to find out if you wanted to address your mask ordinance or not,” Brown asked.

“I would suggest we keep it,” Councilwoman Shirlie Hampton said. “It is evident by listening to Mrs. Young that it is needed.”

“Have we ever collected any fines?” she asked.

“No,” Perry Police Department Chief Jamie Cruse replied.

“I would say that we need it,” Hampton said. “I think it is needed, and it is helping because I see a lot of people wearing them in stores.”

“So, let it ride,” Mayor Alan Hall stated, moving on to the next agenda item after hearing no objections from the council. Taylor County had accumulated 1,408 positive coronavirus cases as of press time Thursday, with 54 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.

Subscribe to our e-Edition and read the rest of the story. Already a subscriber? Click here to sign in.