‘Numbers begin to flatline’: Coronavirus a fading concern in St. Johns County

St. Johns County Administrator Hunter Conrad.

The St. Johns County Commission on Tuesday morning heard evidence that perhaps the worst of coronavirus is over for them.

Newly appointed county administrator Hunter S. Conrad, picked for the job in February, addressed the response.

The county, which has nearly 265,000 people at last count, has seen 176 cases, 29 hospitalizations, and two deaths from the novel coronavirus.

“Some of them and many of them may not be any longer in hospital,” Conrad said, denoting a “downward trend” in new cases, with only one new case Monday.

“That is good news seeing those numbers begin to flatline,” saying that “further decisions” could be made at the “discretion” of the commission next week, presumably to re-open the county’s beaches.

Myriad public commenters, some in person and some on crackly phone connections, made impassioned cases that social distancing would be possible if year-round residents had beach access.

County Health Director Dawn Allicock spoke after Conrad, offering more good news, albeit conferred with a caveat.

Positives, deaths and hospitalizations are all down in terms of percentages in SJC compared to the rest of the state.

She lauded the social distancing measures taken, saying that “we are halfway through the first phase” of the illness, a seeming caution flag to getting the county back to business.

Compared to neighboring Duval, St. Johns was slower to act in some key regards.

While Duval County closed its beaches on Mar. 20, St. Johns County waited until more than a week later to announce its closure.

In her private capacity, mayoral spokesperson Nikki Kimbleton blasted beachgoers for “blatant disregard” for efforts to “flatten the curve.”

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has employed Churchillian rhetoric in his daily press briefings, repeatedly depicting the fight against coronavirus as this generation’s major challenge along the lines of world war or 9/11.

Despite an arguably dilatory response, St. Johns has fared relatively well with the coronavirus onslaught, and is already exploring task forces to jump start the local economy.

However, experts ranging from Surgeon General Scott Rivkees to former FDA Commissioner Doug Gottlieb have said a vaccine could be a year or two years out, suggesting a “new normal” of high precaution and low contact is at hand.