Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
July 16, 2020
The Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC) scheduled a workshop on July 15, 2020 to discuss formulating a plan to protect residents, should the rate of Covid-19 infections continue to rise in the County. The workshop began an hour and a half later than its scheduled time due to overlap with the scheduled mediation session between the FBCC and the Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA).
Several members of the public and local business community were in attendance. However, the Nassau County Health Department did not send a representative, due to a scheduling conflict.
In opening the meeting, Fernandina Beach Mayor John Miller explained the steps that the City has taken to date mandating the wearing of face coverings in indoor public spaces. He asked for discussion on the development of protocols for additional measures, should the rate of virus infection fail to level off. Milller and other commissioners stressed that despite various rumors circulating in the community, there was no action contemplated at this time to close businesses or require gym patrons to wear face coverings. But he stressed that public safety is the most important job of the City. As rates of infection continue to climb, he believed that the City needs to develop a plan now that is ready to be implemented immediately, if it becomes necessary.
Commissioners agreed to consult with the Nassau County Health Department on establishing a rate of infection that would serve as a trigger to further restrictions. Miami-Dade used 25 percent as the infection rate requiring them to return to Phase I CDC protocols which included closing bars, beaches and other public areas. They agreed that absent guidance from the Health Department on this matter, they could only offer suggestions for possible actions.
Some of the possible actions discussed, but not adopted, included:
- Setting occupancy limits for Main Beach and Seaside Park
- Establishing more restrictive indoor occupancy limits;
- Closing Centre Street to traffic between 5th and Front Streets.
Commissioners called for better enforcement of existing occupancy and social distancing requirements in restaurants and other places of business.
Vice Mayor Len Kreger said that he has noted a significant increase in the number of people wearing masks following the city’s making such action mandatory. While in general agreement, other commissioners lamented the lack of enforcement in those establishments that have for political or other reasons refused to require staff or patrons to wear face coverings.
City Code Enforcement Officer Michelle Forstrom, in responding for calls for more code enforcement personnel, advised the FBCC that she can only pass along complaints she receives to the Police Department, where the enforcement responsibility resides. Violations of the mask/social distancing Resolution are second degree criminal misdemeanors.
City Commissioner Chip Ross said that the current pandemic is not going away soon, and may still be with the community in 6 months to a year. He said that the goal of any plan must be to curtail the spread of the virus. He reiterated the actions supported by the CDC and the Health Department, stressing that for the infection rate to drop the community needs full participation and support of face covering, social distancing and hand washing. He said that key to bringing down the rate of infection is contact tracing, which has lagged behind.
Mayor Miller said that contact tracing, in addition to being hampered by personnel shortages, is also hampered by the 7-10 day lag time between virus testing and receiving results.
Commissioner Ross asked his fellow commissioners what would happen if they “pulled the trigger” following achieving a positive test result at some as yet to be determined higher threshhold. Concerns were raised that if the city adopted more drastic measures without similar action by Nassau County, problems would only migrate from the city into the county, where city residents might be at higher risk. Commissioners cited the lack of leadership coming from higher levels of government to address the problem.
Consensus was that the Health Department must step up to the challenges, possibly seeking assistance from local governments for additional resources.
Members of the public expressed fears and concerns of the business community. Main Street Executive Director Arlene Filkoff said that if Centre Street businesses were required to close again, many would not be able to afford to reopen. She also called upon the City to step up to help those businesses that are trying to enforce the face covering and social distancing mandates. She reported that some businesses are flagrantly ignoring the mandate, making it even harder for businesses that are doing all they can to comply. She pointed to what appeared to be a loophole in the current ordinance which allows businesses to disregard the face cocvering requirement if they consider that they are complying with social distancing.
Commissioners reviewed the language in Resolution 2020-94 and by motion and unanimous vote removed the loophole, thereby requiring face masks indoors — period. In response to concerns of gyms that such a requirement was impractical for their patrons, they repeated the exception provided for in the ordinance, which states that if wearing a face mask “significantly interferes with the provision or receipt of goods or services offered or received.” They stated affirmatively that people exercising in gyms were not required to wear a face mask.
Because the meeting was billed as a workshop and not a special meeting, a question arose over the propriety of taking the action that amended Resolution 2020-94. City Attorney Tammi Bach said that the item will appear on the July 21, 2020 FBCC Regular Meeting agenda where it will have been publicly noticed for public input and FBCC action.
Those not wearing masks in public settings are likely the same that say they shouldn’t be required to wear a seat belt. Of course the big difference is that if you are in a crash and not wearing a seat belt, you are likely only to harm yourself. But if you are not wearing a mask, you could be harming others by spreading the virus even when you are asymptomatic. Be considerate and compassionate of your fellow human being and wear a mask properly.
In the name of safety, for a virus that has a fatality rate comparable to the average flu, economies have been shut down, and incredible harm has come to millions of people. Who is behind all of this and why? Wearing a mask for no good reason is like saying “Heil Hitler” to medical totalitarianism. If you are healthy and wear a mask for a prolonged period of time it is not reasonable to suspect that you will suffer ill health effects. Masks reduce your O2. You breath in more CO2. And they act like a petri dish for viruses and bacteria. It is like wearing a piece of bio-medical waste on your face. For those jurisdictions where they have mandatory mask mandates – a whole new crop of political leaders is needed. It is time for the average person to start taking a big interest in how government works and to get involved with making sure we have the right leadership.
How do you figure that CV19 has “a fatality rate comparable to the average flu,”??
On average the flu has a fatality rate of 0.1%. As of yesterday the fatality rate for CV19 was (in the US) 3.9%.
Now, I am not a math teacher but even I know that this difference is statistically significant.
Second, masks do not reduce your O2. Yes, you are breathing in more CO2….but not a signifiant amount. As for breathing in bacteria and viruses….please…do you have ANY medical training?? You are breathing in YOUR OWN bacteria and virus….you can’t double, triple, quadruple infect yourself.
How about you use actual medical and scientific facts instead of BS talking points from the uneducated, uninformed folks in the White House?? They are much more at home huckstering beans than medical facts..
Teri – your claim that masks do not reduce O2 can be easily tested by taking the probe for an oxygen sensor and putting it behind a mask. You are likely to get a reading of 18% or less. The OSHA standard is 19.5% Doing this test would be good science. Listening to experts on TV can be dangerous. Not to long ago the medical community was recommending Frontal Lobotomies.
By wearing a mask you increase the concentration of pathogens in your breathing environment. That can not be good. Fresh air is vital for good health. That is why HVAC systems in commercial buildings have government regulated “makeup air” requirements.
I NEVER go out in public, inside or outside, without a mask. My blood oxygen level has actually gone up.
I would sadly equate those who oppose strong masking efforts to also possibly fear falling off the edge of a flat earth!
Correction to the comment below…… If you are healthy and wear a mask for a prolonged period of time it is not UNREASONABLE to suspect that you will suffer ill health effects.
Hmmmm…..my goddaughter is a surgeon. She often wears a mask AND face shield for 8+ hours straight. She even managed to do so whilst 8 months pregnant with TWINS. I guess it’s the fact that she has SO MANY more brain cells than you do that makes her able to do so with no noticeable ill effects, eh??
Now, I will admit, I am not fond of masks. I am VERY claustrophobic and have asthma. But it was necessary for my job so I did so…often for the majority of a 12 hour shift in the hot and humid environment of a burn unit….40+ years of it and wow….I’m still here!
Again, your talking points are not supported by actual facts but by the baloney being pedaled by the con man in the White House.
Teri – your reference to brain cells is interesting. I am not super smart but I am smart enough to realize the average IQ is 100. Plain and simple half the world is pretty stupid. This is why people are so easily manipulated by “Saturation Media.” The “News” channels have got half the world believing cow flatulence is killing polar bears. The CDC has become like a vaccine company. There is a revolving door between Big Pharma and the CDC where CDC officials take jobs in the industry they once regulated and vice-versa. The same thing happens with the SEC and banks. There is a tremendous amount of dysfunction when it comes to government agencies. You can read on the CDC website that Doctors are instructed to code deaths for COVID even when it is presumed without laboratory confirmation. Same thing for comorbidity. Add in the the financial incentives to hospitals – and guess what – you are going to see stats that are juked. I have been around the Sun over 60 times. I know lots of people. I do not know anyone who has died from this virus. I do know some people who were severely sick – but that happens every flu season. Your reference to Trump is also interesting. Yes, he colluded with the Russians – for peace. If Hillary had been elected we would probably be fighting the Russians in Syria. And as far as our fear of this virus goes consider a quote by Mark Twain – ” It is easier to fool someone than to convince them they have been fooled.”
I shortly, prior to the recent rapid rise in COV-19 infections, bought and moved into a home in Nassau County. The timing of the move was highly influenced by the then very low infection rate. To my great dismay I now find that Fernandina Beach and Nassau County are NOT taking the measure of requiring masks outdoors as well as indoors. a measure that has been solidly proven to lower the transmission rate.
It seemingly makes no sense for the merchants to be so concerned about being shut down again while at the same time in many cases not enforcing the current indoor regulations nor taking a very agressive position to require outdoor masking as well.
Holy cow, how the sheeple fall for this is astounding. Mr. Martin is correct in his statements. At this point in time the only purpose of wearing a mask is psychological. It’s comparable to the TSA which is also psychological . It has zero to do with safety, it’s ONLY about control. With a few quick searches online, it’s more than obvious how foolish (and unhealthy)mask wearing is. Keep it simple, if you want to wear a mask, wear it. If you don’t, then avoid all of the public spaces/stores that require it. But please, don’t get upset with me when I see you riding a bicycle or walking on the beach with a mask on and I start laughing! God bless our sheeple and our dumbed down country.
The Dutch Amish community has not been affected by the “Certificate Of Vaccination I.D.” virus. The experts did a study and concluded the reason they are not affected is that they don’t have TV.