COVID-19 Outbreak Kills Two Manatee County Staff Members

BRADENTON, FL — A COVID-19 outbreak among Manatee County staff left two employees dead and Friday afternoon forced the closure of the county administration building at 1112 Manatee Ave. W. in downtown Bradenton, the county shared on social media.

The coronavirus outbreak killed two members of the county’s IT department and hospitalized another three staffers from that department, the Bradenton Herald reported.

The county administration building shut down at 2:30 p.m. Friday so it could be disinfected, including fogging, the county said. County offices will reopen for regular business hours Monday at 8 a.m.

Epidemiologists with the Manatee County Department of Health are working on contract tracing after the outbreak, the county said.

In mid-May, Manatee County removed face mask and social distancing requirements and other COVID-19 safety protocols at all county properties. When county offices reopen Monday, these safety protocols, including mandatory face masks, will resume, the county said.

Like what you're reading? Invite a friend to subscribe to free Bradenton newsletters and real-time email alerts.

“Preventative measures work,” County Administrator Dr. Scott Hopes, an epidemiologist, said in a statement shared by the county on Twitter. “This should be a lesson to others out there: we still have a disease in this community, and it appears to be impacting younger people and killing younger people than we initially saw during this pandemic.”

Hopes is also encouraging all county residents and employees to get vaccinated.

“COVID-19 is still in our community. Vaccines appear to be very effective at preventing illness and certainly severe illness,” he said. “I'm encouraging employees and their families to take advantage of vaccine clinics where they're available.”

Commissioner Misty Servia agreed, writing on Facebook, “Please pray for the families of our (two) friends who lost their lives to Covid-19 this week and if you have not been vaccinated, please do it ASAP.”