On Friday, as Flagler County government was pushing to lift some local restrictions previously imposed by the coronavirus emergency, the county’s public information office issued a release headlined: “Local test increases significantly, number of positive cases does not.” The headline was misleading at best, and its contents outright false in some regards, masking what the county’s own emergency management director had already publicly cautioned: that a lag in Department of Health reporting was delaying a surge in local positive cases.
That surge became apparent this morning, when Flagler’s positive cases increased by a third in 24 hours–from 55 to 75, though the relatively small base numbers disproportionately skew percentage calculations. The net number is more relevant.
More troubling yet: a stash of 650 tests Flagler County Emergency Management and the Flagler Health Department had secured, and were touting as part of a surge of imminent testing for county residents, were flawed, and must be sent back.
“All those 500 tests that he got and the 150 that I got that were this Beaver Brand, they’re all going back, we can’t use them,” County Health Department Chief Bob Snyder said late this afternoon. He was referring to Emergency Management Chief Jonathan Lord. He and Lord found out about the flawed tests on Saturday.
Between the hospital and the health department providing nasal swabs, “we have enough supplies that we can continue the college testing site over the next five days,” he said. But the testing kits add up to about 250–less than the 300-some tests that have been conducted each of the last two weeks.
By the time the health department posted Flagler’s surge the county had already lifted restrictions on its park and trails use, and was preparing to lift some restrictions, in tandem with Flagler Beach, on the use of beaches–decisions being made at least in part based on inaccurate information, and before the county found out that the large amount of testing potentially available locally will not materialize.
On the other hand, a model local health officials have followed closely, indicating the apex of Covid-19’s pressures on health care facilities, shows that Florida is now just past that apex, and should be on the slow downswing. The model does not break down by county, so may potentially reflect a downswing in southern counties, which have been hit especially hard by the epidemic, with northern counties lagging behind.
The Department of Health states that overall hospitalizations of Covid-19 cases affecting Flagler residents is unchanged, at seven, with that number being cumulative. It includes people who have been treated and released, or people who have died. (Flagler County has lost two people to Covid-19. One had been in treatment in Daytona Beach.) The department is not releasing break-downs of numbers differentiating between current and past hospitalizations.
But as of today, AdventHealth Palm Coast’s total bed capacity was 21 percent, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration, but its ICU capacity was down to 11 percent: just two beds out of 16, significantly lower than a few days ago.
By the time the health department posted Flagler’s surge the county had already lifted restrictions on its park and trails use, and was preparing to lift some restrictions, in tandem with Flagler Beach, on the use of beaches.
The county claimed that “testing has increased 75 percent over the past week,” while “The positive number of cases increased from 45 on Monday to 52 on Friday.” Both claims are false.
There never was a week-to-week 75 percent increase in testing, even with Flagler’s low numbers. In the four full weeks that the Florida Department of Health has been compiling Covid-19 testing and positive-case numbers, the number of tests in Flagler have gone from 104 that first week, to 205 the second week, to 319 the third week, to 320 in the week just ended. If anything, there was a net zero increase in testing in the past week, even though Flagler County opened a new drive-up testing location at the Palm Coast campus of Daytona State College. (Just 116 people were tested at that location this week, with 25 positive cases, Snyder said.)
But the tests administered there were taken from the Department of Health’s stash, because a 500-test stash Flagler County Emergency Management has been sitting on for almost two weeks, and that were intended to produce a significant increase in testing, never received the go-ahead approval from state officials. Local officials are likely grateful the approval was never sent, given the flawed tests. But the DSC drive-up location was intended to put those 500 tests to use. Instead, so as not to delay the location’s opening, the Department of Health made some of its own tests available (as Lord himself explained), essentially shifting testing from the Department of Health to the DSC location, but not quite increasing it overall, as the county advertised.
That also means the county’s imagined “significance increase” in testing had nothing to do with the surge, which may only be ascribed to a lag in health department reporting.
The county’s inaccurate claims for Flagler echo President Trump’s, who has also been claiming that testing is ramping up nationally, when in fact it has stalled at about 150,000 tests a day or less for the past two weeks, hampering efforts to reopen the economy. Just 3.7 million tests have been administered nationwide, a rate of less than 11 per 1,000 people, compared to rates of 23 in Switzerland, 21 in Germany and 19 in Italy. When the president issued his guidelines for reopening the economy on Thursday, he acknowledged that the number of new coronavirus cases must be on the downswing first. But without adequate testing, states and communities can’t know that to be the fact.
Testing in Flagler County remains as woefully low as Florida’s, with 0.85 percent of Flagler residents tested, compared to the state average of 0.83 percent. Put another way, Flagler County residents have been tested at a rate of 8.5 per thousand, and Florida residents at a rate of 8.3 per thousand.
The Department of Health states that overall hospitalizations of Covid-19 cases affecting Flagler residents is unchanged, at seven, with that number being cumulative. It includes people who have been treated and released, or people who have died. (Flagler County has lost two people to Covid-19. One had been in treatment in Daytona Beach.) The department is not releasing break-downs of numbers differentiating between current and past hospitalizations.
But as of today, AdventHealth Palm Coast’s total bed capacity was 21 percent, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration, but its ICU capacity was down to 11 percent: just two beds out of 16, significantly lower than a few days ago.
Lord was never given an explanation as to why approval of the additional 500 tests delivered to Flagler was being delayed–not an explanation Tallahassee was providing to the public, anyway. But it became apparent this week that large stashes of Covid-19 tests have been flawed. “Some of the coronavirus testing kits sent to state laboratories around the country have flaws and do not work properly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday,” The New York Times reported. “The kits were meant to enable states to conduct their own testing and have results faster than they would by shipping samples to the C.D.C. in Atlanta. But the failure of the kits meant that states that encountered problems with the test should not use it, and would still have to depend on the C.D.C.’s central lab, which could cause several days’ delay in getting results.” It’s not clear whether any of the tests in Flagler are part of those batches, though they were dispatched to the county from the state.
“We have enough to keep the site going strong over the next few days, and we’re expecting another shipment,” Snyder said of the existing stash of some 250 kits, as of Sunday.
The health department ascribed April 18 to the confirmed cases in the surge that Flagler County just experienced. Not a single one of the cases could be traced to any recent travel, though some were still under investigation. That means that community transmission caused the infections. The youngest person infected in the new group is a 19-year-old man. The oldest, recorded as an April 19 case, is a 79-year-old woman.
Statewide, 26,000 cases have been confirmed, with 3,766 hospitalizations and 764 deaths. The national death toll is approaching 35,000, with deaths from Covid-19 now the leading cause of death in the nation, exceeding deaths from heart disease.
On Sunday, Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder defended his decision to lend support to the county’s and Flagler Beach’s decision to move with partial beach re-openings.
“This is a beach community,” he wrote in a bief statement he circulated to reporters and officials. “It was inevitable that we open up Flagler Beach to our community but only with a public health focus and reflective of a joint decision by City, County, Health Department and Law Enforcement leaders. We can not ignore the reality of decisions around us by Duval, St. Johns, and Volusia counties to open their beaches. So, I am a realist and wanted the public health perspective to be part of the solution. The plan that will be announced by Tuesday morning was well thought out. It will detail hours for restricted access, stress adherence to social distancing measures and emphasize that access is for physical and mental health activities only—exercising not socializing—walking, biking, fishing, not congregating like under normal times. Residents are expected to keep their distance and/or keep moving. This decision will be enforced by Sheriff Deputies and Flagler Beach Police. If folks do not comply, the decision will be reversed. Public Health recommendations, input from the community and consensus by civic leaders are all behind this decision. In my opinion, it is ok to change strategies and response to this unprecedented public health crisis, as long as health and safety of our residents are priority.”
In an interview Sunday, Snyder–who was still under the incorrect impression that local cases had surged “because we’ve increased testing here locally in the community for the four days”–said he went to the county’s Hershel King Park and to the Matanzas inlet Sunday for personal exercise, and to observe. “There was no congregation of people, there were people hiking, I was glad to see people kept at a distance. There were a lot of boaters and hikers out, I was one of them,” he said. He saw a lot of traffic on the Intracoastal, by the inlet. People were keeping their distances from each other, with a few exceptions. A sheriff’s deputy on a patrol boat “very nicely went up and asked them to separate or just move along instead of lingering for a long period of time,” he said. “People complied. It was really a nice positive observational couple of hours for me.”
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Merrill S Shapiro says
We have certainly come a long way in our country from the days when we had President who “could not tell a lie” to leaders who could not tell the truth and on to leadership that doesn’t know the difference!
Racheal S. says
It is absoultly appaling that Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder is out in public ignoring the stay at home order and publicly touting how nice of a time he had doing so!
OUTRAGEOUS!!
We have some truely sick and ignorant leaders in this community. Wow
Name ( required) says
Wow. That’s a lot of new cases in a short period of time. Sadly, we can’t get back to normal just yet. Hopefully next coming weeks will allow for breathing room. We’ve dodged a bullet so far; by the numbers, at least. Hope to see that everyone maintains the guidelines with vigilant, and conscious effort.
PB says
Numbers do not go up because of new cases. They go up with test results. What does that tell you?
Stretchem says
“Just 3.7 million tests have been administered nationwide, a rate of less than 11 per 1,000 people, compared to rates of 23 in Switzerland, 21 in Germany and 19 in Italy.”
In fairness with the data, those 3 countries have a combined population not even half of the United States. Our 50 states individually have populations more than most other countries. Lil’ bit of a different logistical battle. The technology, equipment and personnel simply isn’t available to match the ratios mentioned by the other countries.
That doesn’t make Captain Blowhard any less deplorable, or it okay to just go back to work and school and apparently the most sought after locale on earth, the beach!
Lance Carroll says
Probably not a good idea to let the guard down this early in the situation. Although, I am only guessing…. it’s not as if I am a medical expert or someone in charge of informing the public with honesty and fact.
Lance Carroll
Deborah Coffey says
It has become clear that, like Trump, Ron DeSantis doesn’t WANT testing to occur. Numbers make them look bad. What we do know is that 25 positive cases out of 116 tested this week at DSC means it’s possible that 1 out of every 5 people is carrying the virus in Flagler County. Think about THAT when you run up to Publix!
Trailer Bob says
Did you ever consider the fact that maybe mos of the people getting tested have a reason…like maybe symptoms of the virus? I know it is difficult, but maybe you should try to keep your prejudice out of your comments. The elections are over for now, so try to wait for election time to come around for that.
Well... says
I concur with your statement. I went to Publix this weekend. I wore a mask. I followed the arrows. I “tried” social distancing but some people made it impossible by pushing through, or going the wrong way as if they cannot tell what direction the arrow goes (or just not caring), and tapping me on the shoulder because they wanted me to move while I was being courteous the person in front. You didn’t want to be the person tapping my shoulder that day. You do not touch me period, social distancing or not and I made that clear. If you don’t care about your fellow shoppers, my goodness please care about the people that are coming into work TO SERVE YOU. They are some of the essential workers this country needs. That is why they are working. Be respectful of them because they don’t have a choice right now. Face coverings for workers now are mandatory at Publix now but a few weeks ago they weren’t. I had my sister send me down a box of masks and I gave them to some of the workers at my local Publix. Why? Because they are there for us when we need them and they deserve our respect now and always.
Derrick Redder says
So let’s get off the blame game. Let’s now work on a full court press .
Let’s get the Antibiodies testing going.
Both my doctor’s office and even the Advent Heath hot line have no clue on The ANTIBODIES TESTING , many of us believe we had been infected earlier than what is being the Reported.
Richard says
Never been sick enough to warrant a Covid-19 test even though I’ve been fighting some really bad acute bronchitis since March 13th. I’d be more interested in the antibody test using a small finger prick though. Some people are needlessly asking for the test when they aren’t even close to being sick because of their fear. Just remember that FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real.
really says
SO disappointed in our Governor. He like the orange blowhard try to defy reality and like gun powder its blown up in their face, vote accordingly.
TheTruth says
This is a disgrace to the citizens of Flagler County, just like Donald Trump now we have local officials lying to its citizens. And, then we have Governor De Santis that doesn’t care about testing in Florida like Donald Trump and just wants to open up our economy to feed their own personal needs. The lack of human lives does not matter to these selfish greedy people and you all should be ashamed of yourselves but what is sadder you just don’t care. The only time these leaders care is when they are up for re-election and they want your vote. This is a disgrace against humanity and those that continue to lie need to be held accountable.
Mark says
The attitude displayed by Donald Trump , Governor
De Santis and all the officials supporting them is
repulsive . They don’t even pretend that they care.
They don’t deserve citizens’ trust and they don’t deserve the office.
Paul Harrington says
How can testing tell anything when they are at best 80% accurate. How do we know if the is a false positive or false negative. Are we using lung xrays or CTscans or anything as a back up. Yet through all of our failure to pay adequate attention to testing we are hell bent on spending thoudands and thousands of taxpayer dollars to patrol the beach.
We know that people haven’t been flooding into the hospitals and people aren’t dropping dead. If the numbers are rising that is happening while the beach has been closed and the Safer At Home order was inacted. Those who are crying the most that people should stay home and isolate in place are the worst violators.
Our priorities are out of whack.
WhackAMole says
Now you’re talking math, which just blows some people’s minds. If they can justify how 1+1=3, they get a gold star. You’re talking percentages, and statistics, and probably just spun some heads around like the Exorcist. Plus, you mention discussing people in positions of power lying. The horror. Never in my day would a politician or an elected/appointed official lie. **Eye roll**. The only thing that surprised me in the article were the defective tests but then I read an article about states around the country sending back defective tests this weekend. All this talk about their rights, well I have rights too, so how do we balance that? If someone can come up with a solution that ensures people that want to work can work and do so safely without endangering those in society, potential customers, in high risk groups while allowing those that want to continue working from home until they are comfortable returning to the office to do so, AND by being courteous in public places letting people that need to socially distance do so then by all means, lay it out. If someone can devise the perfect plan that will continue lowering the curve until there are no cases, and allow for all the aforementioned provisions, then you get a sticker pack of the universe.
Mike Cocchiola says
Trump, DeSantis and other Republican leaders (loosely applied term here) are intent on opening the states to the risk of not only increasing the current rate of infections and deaths but virtually ensuring a second wave of both just to improve Trump’s chance of another term. That is if by some (Trump-predicted) miracle the economy does improve enough for America to forgive Republican indifference to and incompetence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump and his Republican Army will conduct a scorched earth policy to get the red states to open up. The blue states have already told him to shove off. They’ll listen to the experts and protect people, not profits. The red states… they’ll follow Trump off the COVID-19 cliff.
Problem – we live in a red state and a red county. Do we risk illness and death for Trump? Or do we simply do what’s right for people, particularly our older citizens who are large in number and largely at risk? Remember, Republicans may march in-step off the cliff, but they’ll take innocent men, women and children with them.
David says
It seems to be a competition on here for who can be more anti-Trump. Why not blame the Chinese Communist
for this or is China your friend?
The Marxist State Media have hyped this virus and caused the fear that some of the people are experiencing.
The MSM have set up a lose, lose situation that is totally political, now when the government tries to reopen and
one person dies then you will blame the President.
If people dislike Republicans so much maybe they should consider returning to the Democrat, high tax,
sanctuary , mismanaged broken state they came from.
Quarantine: isolation where contagious people are placed.
Tyranny: unreasonable use of power or control.
Percy's mother says
Mike, why did you choose to live in a “red” state in retirement?
From listening to your public comments at the Flagler County BOCC meetings and from reading your posts on this website, I get the impression there’s a lot of frustration on your part in living here and in a “red” state.
One would think with 49 other states to choose to retire in, that you would choose a state more in line with your philosophy on life.
Instead you chose a “red” state in which to retire, and then set about trying to change everything around you, and as well, being miserable about your life predicament.
Perhaps a change from a “red” state to a “blue” state would be more beneficial in so many ways for you and yours.
Sometimes we all have to realize and then admit we’ve made a terrible mistake, and perhaps moving to a “red” state was a terrible mistake for you and yours for your retirement. Changes can always be made. Many are in the same predicament slowly coming to the realization this area and/or “red” state is just not for them. That’s okay. Admit it, learn from it, move on before wasting too much time being frustrated and unhappy.
Not being nasty with this post, just being a realist and offering some insights.
Mike Cocchiola says
Well, Percy’s mother, I’ll explain. I moved here in 2003 under Jeb Bush. He was conservative, but I thought he was doing a good job. I believe he represented all Floridians. I might not have agreed with all of his policies, but he was reasonable. I really liked Charlie Crist. I thought he was a good moderate governor. No problem there. But, under Rick Scott, everything changed. I was deeply disturbed by his pattern of destruction of social services, public schools, the environment and any semblance of a state government that serves all of its citizens.
And thus, my activism against all things “red” began, exacerbated by the ultra-conservative backlash against Obama and their election of Trump. The question was fight or flight. I choose to stay and fight.
Oh, and no frustration or unhappiness. Just drive and determination to right the wrong of today’s radical-conservative agenda.
Jim says
Worry not, the state is not red but purple, and very very soon will be blue once again!
Ld says
How are test kits flawed? Has this flaw been reported to CDC?
FlaglerLive says
As the article notes, the CDC is well aware of flawed test kits it had approved and sent out, though it acknowledged it only last Wednesday.
Sherry says
Florida “IS” the place where I was born and raised. My ancestors came from England in the 1600 hundreds and settled in this region. So, please STOP with the BS that if we don’t quietly endure that lying, dangerous, racist, narcissistic, megalomaniac trump, or his complete sycophants like DeSantis “WE” should leave Florida! How Dare You!
We “true patriots”, who care deeply for our families and communities, most certainly have every right and responsibility to hold our elected politicians responsible for their decisions and actions. Many of us will continue to do just that. . . and we could care less whether it pleases your or not!
Remember the “buck stops with the president”. . . if one single person dies because of his complete blundering negligence, “YES” , trump is to blame! As your “CULT” says. . . “trump was elected president, get over it”!!!!
Flatsflyer says
I’m certainly glad that we got all of the junk test kits here in Flagler County. If they where spread across the Country Trump would have clearly told us during one his daily campaign reality shows. So we have received more junk kits than good ones, no wonder Trump wants to distance himself from any responsibility. You know it, I know it and everyone knows it, Trump wants to get another term not to serve the people but rather to keep his ass out of the court rooms where he will be convicted and jailed for a lifetime of crime.
La He says
There are Certain Criteria to be Met before a Country, State or even a County should consider REOPENING according to the WHO. The Criteria is as follows: 1. The transmission is CONTROLLED 2. Health System Capacities are in place to detect, test, isolate, treat every case and trace every contact 3. Preventative measures are in place in workplaces, schools and other places where it’s essential for people to go 4. Outbreak risks are minimized in special settings like health care facilities and nursing homes 5. importation risks can be managed 6. communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the new “normal”. So have We as a County met these Criteria. I would say that #1 is debatable at this time since we do NOT have proper testing. Since we do not have proper testing # 2 does not exist-we do not have measures in place yet to detect, test, isolate and treat and trace every case. We do not have the ability to check everyone’s temperature before they enter the schools or the workplaces so #3 is not in place. We are just starting to address the issue of #4 nursing homes. And our Federal Government NEVER dealt with checking temperatures of travelers coming off of planes so #5 has not been dealt with EVER. Since Florida is a state built on tourism, we have a MAJOR problem because there is no effective way to deal with #5 until a vaccine is developed and the entire population has received it. And then we go to #6 where we have a president and local leaders inciting people to rise up and defy the best scientific advice that is given to protect the population. So obviously #6 has NOT been obtained. NO WAY the WHO’s CRITERIA HAS BEEN MET. WE CANNOT OPEN FLAGLER COUNTY SAFELY AT THIS TIME!