Hammock Beach residents have written the Palm Coast mayor and called into the city, claiming visitors and groups at the resort are still gathering and potentially placing local residents at risk. The resort says the claims are inaccurate, and that it is taking all precautions in line with rules and recommendations.
Health & Society
Flagler Cases Up to 4; Woman Treated for Covid-19 at Advent Is Released, But Her Son, an FPC Student, Tests Positive
Tuesday was proving to be a day of mixed signals, with resilience and fortitude competing with challenges and more dispiriting numbers as various segments of society were rapidly adapting to life under different degrees of restrictions and still often unclear expectations.
CDC Bungling of Coronavirus Testing Likely To Haunt Nation For Months To Come
The CDC distributed just 200 tests roughly equally to 100 public health labs in all 50 states in early February. That decision presaged weeks of chaos, in which the availability of COVID-19 tests seemed oddly out of sync with where testing was needed.
Flagler Beach Police Officer Tests Positive for Covid-19, City Manager Larry Newsom in ‘Self-Isolation’
A 45-year-old Flagler Beach police officer has tested positive for Covid-19. In an unrelated development, Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom fell ill and has been in self-isolation at his home since this morning. The police department is monitoring itself but is not in isolation.
72-Year-Old Flagler Woman Tests Positive for Covid-19 As Florida Cases Vault Past 1,000
A 72-year-old Flagler County woman has tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Department of Health’s latest tally, with Florida cases reaching 1,007, doubling since Friday.
Flagler Beach and Flagler County Will Close 18 Miles of Beaches Monday Morning As Florida Infections Soar
Flagler Beach and Flagler County are closing their beaches to the public starting at 6 a.m. Monday, joining a growing list of coastal communities and counties, in Florida and elsewhere, doing likewise in an increasingly strict response to the coronavirus.
Florida Covid Cases Jump 25% in a Day, to 658 in at Least 42 Counties, Putnam Registers First Case
Research out of Italy indicates that many half- or gradual measures the country took were not effective in controlling the spread of the coronavirus, as opposed to more immediate and radical measures. Italy recorded 793 deaths today alone, by far the largest number of deaths recorded in any country for a single day, so far.
AdventHealth Palm Coast Disallows Almost All Visitors Starting Monday and Limits Surgeries and Procedures
In response to the coronavirus, visitation at AdventHealth Palm Coast hospital will be allowed only for special circumstances, such as if the visitor is the power-of-attorney or medical decision-maker. Visitation will also be permitted in end-of-life situations and a few other exceptions.
All Restaurants Ordered Closed Except for Take-out, Palm Coast and State Agencies Shut Down All In-Person Offices
It is the latest in a series of sweeping measures gradually closing down much of the state’s economic, political, social and cultural activities as the coronavirus has caused 520 confirmed Florida cases so far, with a colossal wave of new cases expected ahead.
Officials Confirm Covid-19 Case in Flagler Almost a Week After Hospitalization; Only 100 Testing Kits Delivered Locally
The Department of Health today confirmed the case at AdventHealth Palm Coast, justifying the delay by saying it did not have clearance to do so until now. “There’s no deception here,” the local health department director said.
No School Board Meetings Until July and Potential Extension of School Year to June 30 as Questions Swirl
The coronavirus-triggered directives are raising questions among local officials about whether in-person school will resume at all this school year, even after April 15, and about the wisdom of not holding board meetings for long stretches of time.
Florida Prisons Stop Accepting New Inmates from Counties
The decision to curtail the flow of inmates into the state prison system, which houses roughly 96,000 offenders, comes a week after Department of Corrections officials canceled visitation until April 5.
With Bogus Claims About Sunshine and Saltwater, Flagler Beach Commission Won’t Close Beach For Now
The chairman of the Flagler Beach City Commission, the police chief and the parks and recreations director all cited bogus and debunked claims about either saltwater or sunshine’s supposedly beneficial effects against the coronavirus.
Close the Damn Beach Already
By keeping the beaches open, Flagler and Flagler Beach officials are wanting it both ways. They’re sending contradictory messages and enabling irresponsibility. They’re issuing visas to the virus.
Flagler Circuit’s Chief Judge Issues Order With Potentially Extraordinary Measures as Florida Covid-19 Cases Double in 2 Days to 319
The court system’s new restrictions reveal the potential for extraordinary, court-ordered measures in answer to the coronavirus emergency, pointing to the sort of unprecedented role the courts and law enforcement may be taking on in the weeks and months ahead.
Flagler Schools Will Distribute Free Breakfast and Lunch Daily; Restaurants Implored to Offer Take-Out Only
The food distributions will be to all children up to age 18 regardless of qualification for free or reduced lunch, but children must be present and adults will not qualify for the free food, though arrangements with food banks are in the works to address those needs as well.
Why Flagler’s Covid-19 Cases May Not Be What They Are: Infected Non-County Residents Are Not Reported Locally
Flagler County may well have one, two or three confirmed cases of coronavirus. If those cases were confirmed in non-Flagler County residents who happened to be in Flagler County, you will not know about them locally, according to Florida Department of Health rules.
Palm Coast Broadens and Extends Cancellations of Activities Through End of April as Florida Cases Rise to 155
Palm Coast was taking a more aggressive coronavirus-mitigation approach as measures against “community spread” of the virus were affecting all levels of local governments even as cases of Covid-19 remained, for now, at bay.
2 Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies, “Multiple” EMPros and AdventHealth Palm Coast Personnel on Quarantine as Protocols Evolve
The two Flagler sheriff’s deputies were on a death investigation involving a man who died of the flu. EMPros manages emergency departments in several cities in Volusia and Flagler. One of its physicians and the Assistant EMS Medical Director for all EMS agencies in Flagler County was placed under quarantine.
Palm Coast Paramedics Will Limit Responses to ‘Life-Threatening’ Medical Calls as City and County Declare Emergency
Rather than double-up with county fire rescue personnel, Palm Coast firefighter-paramedics will limit their calls to “life-threatening” emergencies to reduce the chances of either being infected or infecting others with the coronavirus.
39 New Covid-19 Cases Raise Florida’s to 100 as Evidence of Exponential Spread Emerges; Flagler Still at Zero
The Flagler Health Department, under orders from the state Health Department, is not disclosing how many people have been tested locally. Nor is it disclosing how many people are under monitoring for potential exposure in the community.
Grace Community Pantry Steps Up to Offer Food Bridge to Flagler District’s Neediest Children During Emergency
Grace Community Food Pantry, Flagler County’s largest food operation for the neediest, is offering to provide substantial food aid during the coronavirus emergency for distribution to Flagler County schoolchildren who would normally get free or reduced meals at school.
Volusia Sheriff Chitwood Releases Numbers Health Department Is Censoring and Criticizes ‘Lack of Certain Information’
“When the public is kept in the dark and when their legitimate questions aren’t answered several days into a national emergency, that’s when we start to see panic,” Sheriff Chitwood writes.
Florida Coronavirus Cases Triple in 2 Days to 64; Floridian Dies in California; AdventHealth Announces Measures
Coronavirus cases have jumped to 64 as of early Saturday morning, from just 21 two days ago, according to the Florida Department of Health, with nine cases in Florida unrelated to travel and 16 cases whose origins are still under investigation. Four Floridians have died from Covid-19, one of them in California.
Virus Testing Will Vastly Expand in Flagler and Florida, ‘So Things Are Going to Change Drastically in Terms of Numbers’
Coronavirus testing capacity will expand next week in Flagler County and across Florida, with capacity for some 625,000 tests available starting Monday, but a lot remains uncertain about the extent of the virus’ effects locally, how many people it will affect and whether current measures will be enough to stave off a major local outbreak.
Schools Closed Through March 30, Jury Trials at Flagler Courthouse Suspended as Coronavirus Fallout Continues
All jury trials have been suspended at the Flagler County courthouse through March 30, and all public schools in the state have been ordered to remain closed through March 30 as well.
Coronavirus Prevention Is Not Overreaction: Flagler Schools Should Extend Spring Break
With the coronavirus and its many knowns and unknowns, what may look like an overreaction today is the most effective form of prevention, and should not be given the chance to look like playing catch-up weeks from now.
Florida’s Public Universities Ordered to Shift to Online Instruction Only in Response to Coronavirus
As the deadly coronavirus continues to spread, “it has become clear that to protect the students and the residents of our state, proactive rather than reactive guidance to universities is necessary,” officials with the state university system said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon.
Seemingly Spared So Far, Flagler School, Emergency and Health Officials Prepare for Likely Spread as Coronavirus Cases Jump to 21 in Florida
Flagler school officials are discussing remote instruction and instituting deep cleanings, county and health officials are preparing businesses and government staffs for “social distancing” and other measures as they prepare for what they see as the likely spread of coronavirus locally.
AdventHealth Launches Coronavirus Information Line as Palm Coast Fire Chief Urges Fewer In-Person Dr. Visits
AdventHealth is launching a free phone service for Floridians who have questions about coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, including the opportunity to speak with a nurse as appropriate. The 24-hour line is in addition to a similar line operated by the Florida Department of Health.
Gov. DeSantis Declares Coronovirus State of Emergency, Broadening Powers
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency that would broaden his powers to respond to the novel coronavirus, including allowing him to deploy National Guard troops if necessary.
Surging Health Care and First-Responder Worker Quarantines Raise Concerns As Coronavirus Spreads
The number of health care and first-responder workers ordered to self-quarantine because of potential exposure to an infected patient is rising at an exponential pace.
Two Florida Seniors, in Lee and Santa Rosa Counties, Die From Coronavirus
One of the deaths involved a 72-year-old Santa Rosa County man who had previously been disclosed as having the virus. The other death involved a Lee County resident, whose case had not been disclosed.
False Coronavirus Alarm at AdventHealth Palm Coast Briefly Heightens Anxieties Before Case Is Ruled Out
The case illustrated the heightened awareness–and fears–surrounding the outbreak, which has not yet spread to Florida with the exception of two cases in the Tampa area, and the knowledge gap that may be pushing some health workers too quickly to go on the alert.
Stop Cloaking Bigotry in Veils of ‘Religious Freedom’
A Supreme Court case could open the door to even more legal discrimination in the name of religious freedom. The intolerant should rethink their claim to piety and morals, which contradict their ends.
‘We Will See It In Our Community,’ Flagler Emergency Chief Warns of Coronavirus, Detailing Local Response
Flagler Emergency Chief Jonathan Lord and Health Department Chief Bob Snyder briefed the County Commission on the creation of a local “pandemic working group” and measures in place to address the coronavirus, whose arrival locally is almost certain.
Two Espanola Parents Arrested After 5 Children Lived in Filth, Fear and Neglect for Years
DCF took custody of five children–ages 12, 11, 7, 3 and 2–who year after year had been either homeless or living in a deplorable house in Espanola. Their parents, Tiffany Berry and Nicholas Carter, were arrested for neglect.
State Labs in Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa Now Testing For Coronavirus
State laboratories in Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa can conduct tests instead of sending samples to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention labs in Atlanta.
Secrecy and Stinginess Undermine Florida’s Claim To be Doing All It Can Against Coronavirus
Gov. DeSantis won’t say whether Florida residents are among those tested for coronavirus, and the state will not be providing free testing to people who are uninsured or underinsured.
Flagler School District Explains Its Role and Parents’ Responsibilities in Wake of Coronavirus Outbreak
The Flagler County school district issued a statement regarding district protocols in place in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, and precautionary expectations as far as what parents and guardians may or should do.
Standoff Over Age and Tobacco Definition Could Doom Vaping Regulations
Florida House Speaker José Oliva is balking at raising the age to purchase cigarettes and vaping products to 21, despite a federal law, and would not identify vaping and e-cigarettes as “tobacco products.”
Debate Over Restricting Dollar-Type Stores Divides Palm Coast Planning Board as Moratorium Advances
Palm Coast government is moving toward a 120-day moratorium on permitting new dollar-type stores out of concern that the stores’ proliferation may damage the availability of quality grocery stores.
One Suicide and Two Attempted Suicides in Three Days in Palm Coast
A 58-year-old woman who suffered from depression for years took her life on Sunday. A 14-year-old girl despondent over a break-up and a depressed 20 year old attempted suicide on Friday and Sunday.
Lessons from the Border
Even if people know a little about the border with Mexico, many Americans simply have no idea about the U.S. policies that have created the displacement crisis, including American support for a criminal Honduran president.
With 25,000 Deaths Nationwide, Flu Is a Bigger Worry in Florida Than Coronavirus
While the coronavirus that started in China has spawned massive media attention — and reams of misinformation — Florida health officials say the state has more pressing health risks right now, particularly the flu.
Hearts and Rainbows v. Satan and Lies as LGBTQ Advocates and Opponents Hold Neighboring Demonstrations
The two demonstrations by advocates and opponents of LGBTQ rights outside the Government Services Building in Bunnell preceded the Flagler County School Board meeting Tuesday night, which again was dominated by transgender rights issues.
Cold-Weather Homeless Shelter May Move to Church on the Rock, But Weekly Outreach Remains at 1st United
The Flagler County Commission approved the first step in a county-city agreement to underwrite cold-weather homeless shelter operations at Bunnell’s Church on the Rock, though the Sheltering Tree’s outreach operations will remain at First United Methodist, also in Bunnell.
Facts Vs. Fears: Five Things To Help Weigh Your Coronavirus Risk
Scientists have more questions than answers about important issues surrounding the coronavirus, now officially named COVID-19. Here’s some help in understanding the unknowns and evaluating the risks.
16-Year-Old FPC Autistic Girl in Sheriff’s Explorer Program Arrested for Threatening Shooting
The Flagler Palm Coast High School 16 year old allegedly made several Instagram statements threatening murder and serial killing, and may have been upset over academic issues.
Arthur Enos, 81, Dies in Suicide Near Outback, Moments After a 2-Hour Dinner
Arthur Raymond Enos, 81, of Palm Coast, took his life with a gun late the evening of Feb. 14 behind Outback Steakhouse, after he’d spent two hours at the restaurant.