Using some of the strongest language he’s used yet during the coronavirus pandemic, Flagler County Health Department Chief Bob Snyder this morning blasted the Social Club of Palm Coast for recklessly seeding the county’s only covid-19 superspreader event to date, leading to “dozens of positive cases, two deaths, numerous hospitalizations, including some patients who were in critical condition.”
“This was a classic example of how a virus spreads in your community,” Snyder told the Flagler County Commission, “and all the suffering, all the illness and tragedy could have been prevented through two simple, innocuous practices when indoors: social distancing and mask-wearing.” Two measures that the Social Club of Palm Coast failed to adequately enforce at several events in late September, Snyder said.
“Simply put, the virus knows no boundaries regardless of political leanings or personal beliefs. Period,” he said, defending his decision to broadly and loudly alert local media about the outbreak. “Our health department performed well. It was incumbent upon us to alert the community about superspreading events tied to the Social Club of Palm Coast to avoid future transmission, sickness, and distress caused by covid-19. I personally believe that it is our civic and our patriotic responsibility to do the right thing, to mask up and social distance. Gosh darn it, do this for yourselves and the ones you care about. That’s what it’s all about.”
Commission Chairman Dave Sullivan said Snyder had been asked to appear before the commission to explain the superspreader event in his terms “to clear the air as to what exactly happened at that event.”
Social Club of Palm Coast patrons and the club’s secretary, Gloria April, have sought to downplay the superspreader even as April apologized for it, either blaming media for playing up the outbreak or making inaccurate statements that diminish the club’s exceptional role in the superspreader. April did so again as she addressed the commission this morning.
“We are extremely sorry that it happened at our club. It could have happened anywhere, but it was our club,” she said, inaccurately: the superspreader did not strike at the Social Club of Palm Coast by chance, but because large numbers of people gathered without abiding by social distancing and masking requirements there, and because the club itself did not enforce the requirements, as Snyder himself put it. He has repeatedly said that there had been no such large outbreaks connected to any other social club in town. “Well, it doesn’t happen anywhere, where precautions are taken,” Snyder said later, “because the transmission of the virus is preventable by doing the smallest things.”
Commissioner Joe Mullins also commended the health department while blaming media, “coming out like it’s doing, because it seems to stir people up, and then of course the bloggers,” while himself mischaracterizing the mask issue and downplaying the importance of mask-wearing. “None of us on this commission has made it mandatory, none of us in this county has,” he said. “The city has some confusing stuff coming out. But we have been very clear.” He was alluding to Palm Coast, whose mask mandate resolution was no less clear than Flagler Beach’s and Bunnell’s. It’s not clear what “confusing stuff” he was referring to. Only the county has refused to adopt a mandate, dovetailing the sheriff’s declaration that he would not enforce mandates either way. (All the commissioners wore masks during today’s meeting. Mullins wore his improperly for most of the meeting, its rim below his nose.)
In his summary of the September spike in Flagler’s covid numbers, Snyder spoke of outbreaks in schools, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, all of which have seen numbers decline in the last two weeks, then described specifically how a surge of cases was traced back to superspreader events at the Social Club of Palm Coast.
Following contact tracing investigations, including “several conversations with infected persons, and the secretary of the club, who was keeping her own log of members infected,” Snyder said, “the Social Club of Palm Coast surfaced as the nexus of exposure. Early in the investigation, infected folks and witnesses mentioned their attendance at an event on August 28, and they identified it originally as a karaoke night. As our investigation proceeded, we obtained the list of positive cases that the secretary of the club was tracking. It showed 23 individuals who tested positive, with their exposure dates linked to social events at the club on Aug. 21, Aug. 29, and 78 percent of cases connected to the evening of Aug. 28, which featured a singer-performer who routinely headlined at the club.” He was referring to Mike Kohn, who also hosted three-hour karaoke nights every Tuesday, according to the club’s September calendars. All references to karaoke night have been removed from the club’s October calendar, though Mike Kohn continues to appear at his regular Tuesday night slot.
“So not a karaoke night, as our investigator was originally told, but several events at the club the preceding days, including the 28th,” Snyder said. “When we interviewed the secretary of the club about their board policy regarding social distancing and mask wearing, she indicated for sure that these measures were mandated by their board. But they were not followed by members of the club or enforced. This was corroborated by several folks that our disease investigators spoke to.”
In her remarks to the commission, April said “we had tried everything, we mandated the masks, we took temperatures, we made sure that the club was sanitized,” but the outbreak still happened. She said the club took “immediate measures,” closing down for a month. She never referred to the sick or offer sympathy for the dead, but she spoke defensively against the reporting about her club. “I went back at the cameras we have, looked at the number of people in the room, they were not 200 in the room, as FlaglerLive has stated.” The figure did not refer to the evening of the 28th (as April implied), where most infections originated, but to a previous evening, on Aug. 21, and had been quoted in the account of an eyewitness who was there as “maybe 200 people, almost no masks, although people were required to wear them into the building,” in the eyewitness’ words. “As soon as they came in, they took them off. I and two other people asked the titular head of the DAV to ask that the organizers make an announcement to keep masks on. A woman refused to do that.” It’s not clear who that woman was.
April has also made an issue that the night was not billed as karaoke night, as previously reported, a complaint Snyder had little patience for. “Many of their members indicated it was their karaoke night. We discovered later this week that instead of a machine that people sang along with it was their singer performer,” he said in a text, confirming that people were singing with Kohn. “The bottom line is the same: their negligence in caring for others and complacent has led to numerous cases and suffering for many families.” He added: “Gloria kept making a big deal about the Karaoke reference but that is what we were told by members…such petty point given the horrible outcome of what they failed to do in protecting fellow human beings.”
Now, April said, apparently in a change of approach, “we make people put their mask on. If they don’t like it, they have to leave. We have also mandated that we’re staying at 50 percent. Some of our members do not like that, but we will be staying at 50 percent. We are very sorry that any of this happened. I don’t know what else we can do to prevent.”
Meanwhile after the latest spike in September, Flagler County ended last week with 58 new infections, the lowest number of new infections in a seven-day period going back to the week ending June 27, when the summer surge was just beginning. It was also the week with the lowest number of covid-19 tests since the week of June 20.
The number of covid-related deaths in Flagler has risen to 28, with a 48-year-old man confirmed to have died on Sept. 28, according to the Florida Health Department, making him the youngest person to have died of the disease in the county to date. AdventHealth Palm Coast today was reporting 10 individuals at the hospital with a primary diagnosis of covid-19, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration.
David S, says
That place should be closed down and not be allowed to open until this virus is under control. The people who let this happen should be held accountable they caused many people to become sick and die…….
Debra A. says
Excuse me David S – should they shut down Home Depot, Walmart, and very other business in the world that has tried to do the right thing. The Social Club of Palm Coast followed every guideline by the CDC, short of throwing people out of the club for exercising their Constitutional Right of Freedom to make decisions on their own. The last time I checked we do live in the USA – and no one told anyone to take off their masks. This was a tragedy that happened. It happened to Friends and Family, but there is personal responsibility here – people have the right (right or wrong) to take their masks off when they sit at their tables – no different than any other restaurant in town. This is a tragedy t and to continue to blame people is absurd and coldhearted.
Really says
Stupid is as stupid does. No need for it during this pandemic. But feel free to infect yourself
Concerned Citizen says
While I’m not absolving the social club of wrong doing I’d like to point this out.
Anyone who attended that event during the middle of a Pandemic is responsible for those illnesses and deaths as well. You knew the preventative measures put in place and chose to ignore them. So you could selfishly go out and party for a bit.
Sadly we now live in a society that has total lack of accountability. It’s never anyone’s fault. And we point the finger at someone else. So now people are needlesly sick and some have died from it. I hope you are happy and that couple of hours of selfish partying were worth it.
On a personal level.
While you were out acting like an ass and defying measures put in place to keep you safe. My wife and mother who are a Nurse Practioner and Physcian’s Assistant have been busting their asses for months. Working with Covid-19 patients.
Do the right thing so we can squash this once and for all.
Bernadette says
Please relay to your wife and mother my profound thanks, my eternal respect, and my sincere plea that you take care of yourselves. Just know that there are cheerleaders here for you. And I don’t want you to ever think you guys are appreciated for the awesome responsibilities you have and your ability to take on the stress and trauma that you do and still be human. Nah. You guys aren’t human. You guys are superheroes in every sense of the word. Stay strong. Stay safe. All of you.
Sherry says
With a complete lack of strong government leadership (at ALL levels) coupled with little belief in the science and advice of medical experts, we are left with this kind anarchy and tragic irresponsibility. It is heartbreaking to think of such needless pain and suffering. . . something that could have been easily prevented.
While I have no particular love of attorneys. . . If a loved one of mine was made ill or died due to the complete negligence of this club, “Lawsuits” would be flying! That is the only way justice can be served when our local, state and federal government has intentionally abdicated its responsibilities to protect our health and safety.
The power to control, without the weight of responsibility, is a corrupt “Dictator’s” dream. . . sound familiar?
Mary Fusco says
Sherry, sorry but if anyone got sick, it was their own negligence in going there. It is not necessary. As a grown adult, in these uncertain times, I protect my own health and safety. I may need to go to the grocery store in order to stay alive. However, there is absolutely NO need to be at any social club. I would assume that the “dictator’s” dream that you refer to would be Trump. Like I said, I don’t need Trump to tell me right from wrong. Maybe that is how I’ve lived to almost 74. LOL. Put blame where it belongs. Stupid people doing stupid things.
Brenda carter says
So much about the social club. I am surprised that the Italian American club on Old King held a large Trump event this past weekend . According to videos on Facebook it looked like no one was wearing a mask. Don’t get me wrong I am all for Trump but just would like a explanation why this was allowed and hopefully the people are all safe
E. Hoffa says
Hopefully the Trump Supporters will Vote before they become sick!
Jimbo99 says
I don’t Karaoke, so a mask isn’t really necessary. Don’t play Bingo either. Amazing how the ownership of the social club is allowed to escape responsibility. I mean, in the last month or so, we had the one drug dealer that was convicted in the death of the woman that was released by a facility as she overdosed. What am I missing here ? The super-spreader event is more a matter of a learning experience unless one of the victim’s brings a lawsuit up against the place ? And that’s likely to happen if one of the victim’s was wearing a mask and was infected at the very least or died ?
C’mon man says
Well it’s called a social club so I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now, if it was called the unsocial club I’d be questioning things.
No Yo Yo Ma says
Ya know, one of the primary sticking points that is preventing our elected officials from distributing more relief funds to every American is this very risk of litigation and absolution of responsibility by those who fail to follow and enforce the government’s own guidelines. Folks like the ones at this social club, and folks like the ones at the White House with their Rose Garden galas.
Do as I say not as I do, and don’t sue me for being a stormtrumpin self absorbed greedy booger eating ass.
The real American heroes wanted to distribute 3.3 trillion more to continue to help us all get through a few more months. The Nazis said no, how amount 600 billion, and don’t sue dumbasses like those that run social clubs during a pandemic. The real American heroes compromised by trying to meet in the middle at 2 trillion. Again the Nazis said no, 600 billion, and don’t sue us. Get a job. Preferably a cushy one with the federal government. We’ll provide the arm patches.
The behavior you saw on TV the other day trickles down. It permeates little ole rinky dink towns like Palm Coast and it’s social clubs, and we ALL pay the price in a myriad of vicarious ways.
David S. says
So true they all need to be held accountable……
mark101 says
It appears some on here blame the leadership in the government or the state or local, but the blame for this is solely on the Social Club of Palm Coast and its patrons that attended these or this event. They knew the risk but choose to ignore them and they can say what they want, but its their fault for even holding these events. 2 died. It pure negligence by the people that run this club, not a government body of any sorts.
James M. Mejuto says
“We are extremely sorry that it happened at our club. It could have happened anywhere,”
This is stupid as stupid can be!
Padlock the damn doors until it’s safe to re-open. I don’t understand how such a pathetic
club could exist. People who are losers and suckers, I suppose. Most likely the Trumpers!
Geno says
3 Deaths..just lost my 83 yr old mother this morning to the Covid-19 she caught at Palm Coast Social Club. She was also there on Tuesday August 25th for Karaoke and later that week for a wedding.
She spent the last 4+ weeks suffering in the hospital.
My prayers go out to everyone affected by this damn virus..directly and indirectly.
Sherry says
Mary, while you have a good point about stupid people doing stupid things. . . each and every day we MUST rely on our government to keep us safe. Our government decision makers SHOULD be assuming that “responsibility” to keep us safe, to be HONEST and transparent in giving us ALL the science backed information we need, and to “set an example” by personally behaving in a responsible and safe manner. trump, DeSantis and most of our local government officials have been completely NEGLIGENT and have FAILED in their responsibility to do just that.
If you think we do NOT require government leadership to keep us safe from harm, think again. . .
We rely on the FDA to to keep our food and drug supply SAFE
We rely on “enforced” SAFETY LAWS to keep our highways SAFER
We rely on such things as “building codes” to keep our homes SAFER
We reply on our MILITARY , FBI, and other agencies to keep us SAFER from terrorists, etc.
And on and on and on. . .
Hopefully you are getting my point. . .