Loss And Coping Amid The Numbers: Coronavirus In FL A Year Later

FLORIDA — As the coronavirus slowly spread state from state last winter, it was inevitable the virus would eventually reach Florida. Its arrival one year ago Monday brought residents months of lockdown, unemployment, heartbreaking loss and, in some cases, achievement.

The first coronavirus cases in the Sunshine State were confirmed March 1, 2020, a date that changed life for everyone in Florida. For many, it’s hard to recall a life without face masks, social distancing and the fear of contracting this life-threatening virus.

The first two Florida COVID-19 cases were found in the Tampa Bay area. Florida was the 10th state to confirm coronavirus cases.

For Jean Sheridan of Dunedin, the isolation has been the most difficult thing to handle over the past 12 months.

“I haven’t touched another human being in a year; I haven’t even spent quality time in the physical presence of another human being. In fact, the only living thing I have touched is a tree,” she wrote in a Facebook comment.

But she’s used the time to get in touch with her artistic side and “done a deep dive into abstract painting,” Sheridan said.

One of the first COVID-19 patients in the state was a 63-year-old Manatee County man with no travel history to the countries under travel restrictions at the time because of the high number of coronavirus cases there. The second patient was a 29-year-old Hillsborough County woman with a history of travel to Italy, which was facing a substantial coronavirus outbreak.

Since then, 1.91 million people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Florida — the third state to break the 1 million case mark and one of only four to reach that number — and nearly 31,000 Florida residents have died from the virus, according to state data.

Months of restrictions have hammered many parts of the state's economy, from the cruise ship industry to hotels to entertainers.

Cyndi Vickers of St. Petersburg was one of many who lost their jobs because of the pandemic.

“Losing the job I absolutely LOVED (public programs associate for a museum. No public = no programs!) directly because of the virus has been excruciatingly difficult,” she wrote in a Facebook comment.

She’s spent her time relishing the little things, she said. “As to the most joy, I'd have to say getting to hang out with my cats, create a butterfly garden and just be outside with them is wonderful in its own quiet way.”

COVID-19 Deaths in Florida

Florida’s first two coronavirus deaths were reported March 5, 2020. One was an elderly man in Santa Rosa County, the other was a Lee County man in his 70s who died following an international trip.

It hasn't gotten easier since these first COVID-19 deaths. Every death recorded since then has been a major blow to some victim's family and friends.

In Manatee County, a retired Bradenton police officer, Ken Magown, and his wife, Nancy, died just minutes apart from COVID-19.

A 51-year-old Clearwater High School music teacher died within a day of learning she had been exposed to the virus despite not showing any symptoms.

A Pasco County middle school teacher, also 51, died after contracting the virus despite taking COVID-19 precautions seriously and barely leaving her home.

Meanwhile, a 28-year-old nurse in Southwest Florida died from his battle with coronavirus, an illness he’d been helping to combat. A memorial scholarship has been established in his name at his alma mater, the University of South Florida in Tampa.

A State of Emergency

After the first coronavirus cases were reported in Florida, it wasn’t long before Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency, on March 9, 2020.

This move freed up additional resources for the state’s response to spread of COVID-19, making it easier for out-of-state doctors and other health care workers to travel to Florida to help areas hit hard by the virus and allowing state leaders to quickly purchase supplies and equipment needed to operate field hospitals and testing sites. It also allowed pharmacists to dispense up to 30-day emergency prescription refills for those regularly taking certain medications.

Many residents of Northern states fled to Florida in March as their states faced early lockdowns. This prompted DeSantis to issue an executive order targeting travelers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which required those persons to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving.

By April 1, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continued to rise in the Sunshine State, the governor was forced to issue a stay-at-home order for all residents, unless they were engaged in essential services and activities.

Though essential services included a range of businesses, many companies were forced to shut their doors during that period. While some industries easily shifted their work to the virtual realm, with employees simply working from home, many fields were unable to make that adjustment, resulting in a large number of workers being furloughed or laid off.

By the end of December 2020, nearly 2.2 million Florida workers received unemployment assistance at some point during the pandemic, the Miami Herald reported.

Most schools in the state had already shut down in-person learning by mid-March. Many simply didn’t reopen after spring break, and students shifted to virtual learning using Zoom and other technology.

All school districts have since reopened for in-person learning — which the governor encourages — though remote learning remains an option for families concerned about COVID-19, WFLA reported.

The governor allowed the state to reopen in phases starting May 4, excluding businesses in South Florida at first because those counties were the hardest hit by coronavirus at the time. Still, though many restaurants and retailers could open again, they had new rules to follow, including reduced capacities and social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.

The economic impact of the pandemic has been significant, with many businesses unable to bounce back and forced to close for good.

Face Masks a Sore Subject in Florida

While many state governments have issued a face mask mandate to slow the spread of COVID-19, Florida isn’t one of them. In fact, DeSantis has adamantly refused to issue such an order.

Many county, state and city officials, as well as advocacy groups and residents, have called for a statewide mask mandate, but DeSantis has ignored or refused these requests.

"I would definitely encourage people when you're in, whether it's a business situation, like in a restaurant, to wear a face mask," DeSantis said during a December news conference. "In terms of forcing that under penalty of criminal law, we're not going to be doing that. I think it would be applied unevenly, and I just don't think it would end up working at the end of the day. We should be trusting people to make good decisions."

Though some cities and counties throughout the state enacted their own mask mandates, the governor made those orders ineffective when he lifted all COVID-19 restrictions on businesses in October, NPR reported. This means cities and counties can’t enforce their own coronavirus-related rules.

Still, a USF professor and epidemiologist has said the use of face masks and social distancing has prevented at least another 1.4 million coronavirus cases across the Tampa Bay region.

Face masks in public schools also became a hot-button issue as many parents protested in districts that required students, staff and visitors to wear masks on school property.

Parents in five counties — Brevard, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee and Sarasota — even sued their districts over the matter. In three cases, the judges ruled against the parents, siding with the schools requiring the masks. The remaining two cases, in Sarasota and Lee, were dropped by the plaintiffs.

Vaccine Rollout in Florida

Once the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use in December, Florida began its vaccine rollout at the end of the month.

Those initially eligible for the vaccine by the governor’s executive order include front-line health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, and residents 65 and older.

It’s been a frustrating process for many in the state who have been unable to access the vaccine, even if they fall into one of the categories of people eligible for it. Low vaccine supply kept many doses from making their way to Florida during much of the rollout, and a winter storm affecting other areas of the country delayed shipments to the state.

And at the start of vaccine rollout, there were technology issues, as some counties experienced crashing websites and registration systems because of the volume of people attempting to access them when vaccine appointments were available. Florida didn’t launch a statewide registration system until the end of January.

DeSantis and other officials have also been accused of politicizing the vaccine by favoring wealthy communities and political allies throughout Florida's vaccine distribution.

But things are looking up in Florida as more retailers — including select Publix stores, Walmarts, Sam’s Clubs and CVS locations — offer the vaccines. Four federal vaccination sites are also set to open in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa.

As of Monday, just over 3 million people have received at least the first dose in the two-dose vaccine series, according to state data.

A Year of Highs and Lows for Florida Patch Readers

Throughout the past year, Florida Patch readers have experienced highs and lows. Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the state’s first recorded coronavirus cases, Patch asked residents to share their most memorable moments from life in a pandemic.

For Nancy Tsekou, commenting on Sarasota Patch’s Neighbors Post page, the most difficult part of the past year has been “the insane, disorganized system used to register people for the vaccinations.”

She wrote, “When the governor lumped everyone over 65 into one group along with medical personnel etc., he created an enormous mess. I spent two hours a day for a month trying to get an appointment (and) finally had to go to Charlotte County to a Publix, not a government agency. There was no advanced planning and chaos reigned in Sarasota and Florida, in general, for many months.”

On the other hand, Tsekou found unexpected “joy” when her family, American diplomats living in Uganda, were evacuated and had to return to Sarasota for five months.

“It was hellish and very stressful for them, but I got to see them most days for five months — a rare blessing for me. We bonded through adversity. It was hard to have them leave again,” she wrote.

Veronica Meuser, also commenting on Sarasota Patch, said she had a difficult time dealing with the loss of her brother to COVID-19. At the same time, “the most joyful thing was finding out that my daughter is going to make me a grandmother,” she wrote.

James Bella, posting to St. Petersburg Patch, said he’s missed volunteering in the community.

“Being way over 65, the organizations did not want us oldies volunteering … for fear of us getting COVID-19,” he wrote, adding, “What has brought me the most joy in this past year was being able to stay connected with my old friends and making so many new ones through social networks, texting and that good old standby: the telephone.”

Meanwhile, Christie Hardwick, a St. Petersburg Patch reader, shared that while it was difficult “not being able to travel freely over the past year,” she has “found great joy in the nature surrounding us. Bike rides, camping, walks all so appreciated.”

While Barbara DeMolli, who works in a community service center in Polk County, is grateful to have work — and to be a helpful resource for others during their time of need — it’s also often been emotionally draining for her during the pandemic.

“The most difficult thing for me was the total lack of consideration for people who were risking their lives to keep the community healthy, housed and connected. I processed exhausting Cares Act rent and utilities payments, coordinated a food pantry feeding over 200 families and came into contact daily with people whose lives were destroyed by the virus,” she shared in a Facebook message. “At the same time, people were refusing to wear a mask, making jokes about working from home and parading about with self-important ignorant 'exceptionalism.' I cannot imagine what it is like in health services. I lost clients, consoled families, and tried to pretend I was sleeping. Depression does not begin to explain the loss of trust and faith. My joys were small gestures from friends that I haven't talked to in a year. Artful moments. My daughter.”

The year was also a challenge for Mary Ellen and Richard DiPietra of Tarpon Springs. While isolated from loved ones and the community, their dog, Lucy, died, and Richard faced health challenges unrelated to the coronavirus.

They also were forced to sell their St. Petersburg home because “we can’t afford to live in it anymore,” Mary Ellen wrote in a Facebook comment. “We moved to affordable housing in Tarpon Springs and it was really hard, but it is getting better. I completely painted and rehabbed our house, found us a new one and moved us almost all on my own. At 64 and ½. Not bad for an old broad.”

The couple also realized a lifelong dream when they published their first book, “I Am a Cuban Sandwich,” in July.

“And none of it would have been possible without funds and encouragement from friends and family," she wrote. "Every step of the way came our way via love.”