St. Pete may explore allowing small outdoor events if Covid numbers remain low

While Mayor Rick Kriseman said he’s encouraged by the downward trend in Covid-19 cases in St. Petersburg, he cautioned residents against getting too complacent. 

“We can’t take our foot off the gas until there’s a vaccine,” Kriseman said at a press conference outside the testing site at the Duke Energy for the Arts Mahaffey Theater Wednesday. “That’s the reality of the world. Maks and social distancing will continue to be a part of our lives.”

The two-week rolling average for Pinellas County is 4.5 percent, Kriseman said, adding that the last time the county was under 5 percent positivity was before businesses began reopening. In light of the lower numbers, Kriseman said he plans to have conversations with his team, his Covid advisors and other county leaders to inform the next steps for St. Pete.

“While I do foresee us having a mask mandate for quite awhile, I do believe it’s appropriate for us to take other actions such as allowing small events in our parks,” he said. Those events could potentially include weddings and youth sports.

However, before serious discussions about the future take place, Kriseman said he wants to get through the first few weeks of school to make sure the virus doesn’t spike again as it has in other areas. He called the response of the state in forcing schools to reopen for in-person learning “disappointing and a bit tone deaf,” and said that local governments aren’t being given the discretion they were initially promised to make decisions that are best for their community. 

“Part of the challenge we’ve had is conflicting messages coming out of Tallahassee and we need clarity,” he said. “When we haven’t had it is when we’ve had issues.”

Kriseman did express gratitude to the Pinellas County School board for providing families with a choice of learning options when school begins August 24, despite not getting enough resources or guidance from the state. He said his son will be attending school online. 

In regard to testing, Kriseman announced that free antibody testing will be available at the Mahaffey Theater Tuesdays-Fridays from 2-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. No referrals are needed, and people can visit the Pinellas County Department of Health’s testing website to print out a data collection form to take with them. Results take about an hour to process, though the test will not indicate whether someone currently has the virus.

A Saturday morning testing site will also operate from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. beginning Aug. 29 and running through Oct. 3 at Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, 955 20th St. South, 33712.

The Florida Department of Health reported Wednesday that 12 more people in Pinellas County have died from Covid-19, bringing the total to 582. The county also recorded another 118 confirmed cases of the virus and 24 additional hospitalizations, though Kriseman said there are no major concerns related to hospital and ICU beds right now. The county now has 18,994 residents who’ve tested positive.

The St. Pete Catalyst has a daily update on total cases by ZIP code, which you can find here.