Palm Beach Civic Association issued the following announcement on July 27.
Palm Beach TV coverage of the Palm Beach Town Council Special Meeting on COVID-19 on July 27, 2021
TOWN COVID-19 UPDATE – TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2021
- The Mayor and Town Council met in special session at 5:00 pm today to receive an update on the recent spike in Covid-19 infections and discussed the current administrative policy requiring masks in Town-owned government buildings, as well as the continuation of the temporary outdoor seating for restaurants. Council also approved Resolution No. 80-2021 extending the Chief of Police’s Declaration of a State of Emergency until the August 10, 2021, Town Council meeting.
- Please be advised that the Declaration of a State of Emergency simply conveys to the public that an emergency exists. The Town has considered the significant rise in new Covid-19 infections within Palm Beach County as a public health emergency, hence the declaration. The approval of the Resolution extending the Declaration DOES NOT impose any restrictions on businesses, residents, and visitors of the Town.
- Recent media headlines have stated that the “Town of Palm Beach imposed a new mask mandate”, which is unfortunately misleading. To clarify, please note that the Town Administration implemented a mask requirement for all employees and visitors to Town-owned government buildings ONLY, including Town Hall, the Police Station, Fire Stations, Recreation Center, Tennis Centers, Golf Course, and the Public Works facility. The Town has not and cannot issue mandates regarding masks for private businesses.
- At the August 10, 2021, regular Town Council meeting, the Mayor and Council will receive another Covid-19 update and have further discussions about this matter.
- In the meantime please be aware that last Friday’s report from the Florida Department of Health indicated a 15.1% positivity rate for the State and a 12.5% positivity rate for Palm Beach County over the previous 7 days. Health experts have recommended sustained positivity levels for two weeks of below 5% before considering the virus contained. Click on the link at the end of this alert to read the State report.
- Although a very small fraction of last week’s cases were “break-through” infections, it is the unvaccinated who are contracting Covid-19, with the Delta variant being the predominant strain. The Delta variant is not only far more transmissible than its predecessors, it appears to be more lethal to people of all ages.
- Vaccines are widely available for individuals 12 years old and up. The Town strongly encourages those who have yet to receive a vaccination to do so immediately. Only 60% of Florida residents 12 years and older have received at least one dose and only 64% of Palm Beach County residents 12 years and older have received at least one dose. The CDC has previously reported that a minimum of 70% is required to achieve herd immunity but the longer it takes to reach this percentage, the greater the chance of additional variants which could become even more transmissible and more resistant to current vaccines.
- The Town will continue to follow CDC guidelines and strongly encourages residents and businesses to also do the same. A link to their guidelines is below.
- Information about vaccinations and other matters related to the Covid-19 Pandemic can be found on the Town’s website by clicking the link below.
Original source can be found here.
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