Aside from a community update Thursday in which Sheriff Rick Staly informed residents about covid and vaccines rather than explicitly called on them get either, Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston today was the first elected official in the county or from municipal boards directly to call on residents to wear masks and get vaccinated.
The mayor was acting on her own, representing herself rather than the city of Flagler Beach, though she issued her two-minute video statement from the dais at City Hall, with her nameplate (“Suzie Johnston Mayor”) prominent in front of her. The statement was issued within hours of Gov. Ron DeSantis issuing an executive order banning masking requirements in public schools, and as he has continued to counter efforts by communities to institute more restrictive safety measures in the face of Florida’s (and Flagler’s ) unprecedented surge in covid cases.
“I want to give a community Call to Action regard regarding the recent surge of the Covid-19 Delta variant virus, and how it’s impacting our community,” Johnston started. “At this point the politics of the pandemic are irrelevant. Currently, the Covid-19 conditions continue to get worse. The critical situation we find ourselves in, after three waves and going into four, demand decisive action before we find ourselves in a general emergency with irreversible damage to our economy and death.”
She cited the record-breaking numbers of hospitalizations of the last few days. According to Bob Snyder, director of the Flagler Health Department, today AdventHealth Palm Coast recorded 61 patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of covid019, up from 60 on Thursday, and a total of 665 infections for the week, breaking the previous record of 400 for a single week, set in January. But the response from the community has been largely indifferent, even though hospitals have been pleading for help, and signaling that staffing may become an issue.
Speaking at a media briefing this afternoon, Linnette Johnson, a chief nursing officer with AdventHealth Central Florida, was nothing short of pleading: “We are asking our community to help us,” Johnson said. “Our health system – not just AdventHealth, but all health systems – need this pandemic to end.” She said nurses are routinely forced to watch patients decline and express regret over their choice to not receive the vaccine. “We see families shattered by seeing their son or daughter intubated and clinging to life,” she said. “We see the goodbyes. And at that point, it’s too late for them to get a vaccine or wear a mask.”
Johnston stopped short of calling for a mask mandate. Flagler Beach, like Palm Coast and Bunnell, had approved an unenforceable one last year. It has since lapsed.
“I am not recommending mandates, but I am asking for a call to action,” Johnston said. “Be diligent in the transmission of germs, increase hand washing, wear masks, social distance and get vaccinated.” Other public officials have stopped short of calling for a vaccine, saying only, in some cases, that they had gotten one themselves–as Staly did, and as Flagler School Board member Colleen Conklin announced this morning on her Facebook page–but not going as far as urging others to get it. Conklin’s announcement was significant, however: she had been resisting the vaccine, and had, in her role as a board member, joined a majority of three a few years ago in halting the Health Department from expanding vaccine choices in schools.
Conklin’s decision today was couched in caveats: “Not happy about it at all! But then again I didn’t do it for me but for those I love 💗💗💗 #Pfizer.”
Johnston said the facts were clear: “The vaccinated, account for only 5 percent of new cases versus 95 percent of individuals who are unvaccinated,” somewhat of a misrepresentation of the numbers: the 5 percent–actually 6 percent as of today, according to Dr. Neil J. Finkler, Advent’s chief clinical officer–are those hospitalized in spite of having been fully vaccinated. Numbers have not been released as to the larger population with infections but no need for hospitalizations. The state has curtailed data releases to just one day a week, and it does not break down numbers by vaccinated-versus-unvaccinated.
“Protect yourself, protect your neighbor, because we are at the point that we need to act,” Johnston said. “We must act on a community level and not wait for the state or national government to act at this point. At this time, there is no change to regularly scheduled events here in Flagler Beach. But I do encourage you to refocus and stay vigilant.”
The full video is below.
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JimBob says
Many Flagler politicians would welcome a resurgence of polio if it enhanced their partisan fund raising.
bob says
Class !!!
Robin says
Thank you Ms. Johnson for being a clear voice of reason.
Richard Smith says
Good luck trying to enforce it…
Mark says
More like her please! If 1/4 of politicians had the gusto Mrs. Johnston has this world would be much better of. Vote more people in like her!!
David S. says
The HELL with DeathSantis.
jOE3 says
I understand your message
BUT if is a personal message,
WHY do it from there and behind your official nameplate ? SENDS A MIXED MESSAGE – I FEEL
“The mayor was acting on her own, representing herself rather than the city of Flagler Beach, though she issued her two-minute video statement from the dais at City Hall, with her nameplate (“Suzie Johnston Mayor”) prominent in front of her. “
Steve says
The only one of them with a brain and smart enough to say something publicly. WTG
Trailer Bob says
Getting a little picky there and not getting the gestalt of the advice she was sending to the public.
Frances Royals says
Thank you for your leadership. We need more people like you.
Bartholomew says
Well bless your heart, Richie, you are confused. The mayor is not mandating anything, she is just asking people. No need to enforce asking.
Guido says
Get vaccinated!!!
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Good girl Mayor Suzie. It’s been many years that I held signs for any candidate ( other than my own) and my hubby Mark and I are sooo proud we held yours!
Thank you with all our hearts for being the very first brave local public official to not be afraid of DeathSantis
The arrogance, selfishness, ignorance of so many otherwise intelligent people is mind boggling as well as scary, very very scary.
Frank W says
Not at all. A personal message is separate from her official capacity. This was not the case.
Rick G says
Good on Mayor Johnston. We need more proactive people like this in charge of our government.
deb says
Finally A voice of reason.
Trailer Bob says
Getting my second shot on Wednesday, along with my wife. The vaccine hasn’t killed me yet…
Trailer Bob says
And I would also like to congratulate Ms. Johnston for acting like a public official.
I highly doubt that the Virus would have killed me, but I really have no desire, should I carry it, to cause harm to others…especially the elderly or frail.
So I guess you could say and I actually care about my fellow man and woman…
Mythoughts says
Hats off to Mayor Johnston for caring about people well being and not making this deadly virus a political issue like DeathSantis.
This is not a political issue it is a public health issue, I wish the Cult Republicans would stop their life threatening games, it is all going to fall back on them as it did with Trump. When business have to close again and when hospitals are filled to capacity we can all thank DeathSantis who could careless about anyone’s life but his own. We can thank the Cult Republican supporters for being careless with their own lives.
I thought everyone was given a brain to make wise decisions but as we can see now the Cult Republicans and politicians aren’t using the brain they were born with.
Trailer Bob says
I say if it encourages people to get vaccinated…so be it. Of course she is using her name and position to show the public that not all elected officials are anti-vaccine. Sometimes the end justifies the means. So it was a personal message by an elected official. ANYONE can have a personal message, even a politician.
A.j says
Will people obey the message? The message has been voiced before by different people, look at the numbers. Has Ms. Johnston been vaccinated? Good message Ms. Johnston. At the end of the day we are all responsible for our health, regardless of what the Gov. say.
Concerned Citizen says
She’s a grown woman.
You always come across as condescending towards others in this community.
Paul Mucciolo says
I salute Mayor Johnson for speaking plainly and decisively about the current surge of COVID-19 ravaging our community. She’s doing what a leader should do during an emergency: looking out for the health and well-being of HER community. Ownership has become a lost principle in the halls of politics. Mayor Johnson exhibits mastery in that domain. Regardless of what name plate is in front of her or in which office she’s setting during the recording—her message came from the heart, something else lacking in our current political climate. Others should take note and act accordingly.
Patti Powell says
I applaud our Mayor for her recommendation. I heard no “mandate” but she is correct in all she said. This is a serious matter and those who would try and make a political issue out of it, should be ashamed.
Concerned Citizen says
The Sheriff just tried to pull something similar.
I heard a commercial for Beaver Toyota where he “wasn’t speaking as Sheriff” But was introduced as Sheriff several times. Sorry. We aren’t stupid. When an official title is thrown in there for any reason it makes your statement official. Stop pretending otherwise.
Perry Taylor says
Mayor Suzie, why don’t you in your official capacity fix the beach walk overs and address the traffic and related safety concerns with speed on A1A. No instead you jump into this ridiculous mask debate; that’s just what the people of Flagler Beach need from their mayor right now. Great judgement!