Janelle Irwin Taylor
The Greater St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce is recommending caution in any local reopening strategies as much is still unknown about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chamber CEO Chris Steinocher presented preliminary recommendations on reopening strategies during a Tuesday morning Zoom meeting.
“We have to be cautious about rushing out, because rushing out might hurt us even more financially,” Steinocher cautioned.
He described economic analysis that found an economic reopening done right — one that is cautious, slow and steady — could mean economic recovery as soon as the first quarter of 2021. One done incorrectly however, could mean recovery takes until 2024.
“We have one chance to get this right,” Steinocher said.
His recommendations are based on a four-phased process beginning with relief efforts, followed by reopening, recovery and finally, reimagining. They also follow President Donald Trump’s Opening Up America Again guidelines calling for a 14-day continued reduction in either cases or percent of positive COVID-19 tests.
Any decisions on reopening, Steinocher said, should be based on data, health care readiness and testing.
Officials should be tracking changes in case trends, infection rates and deaths while also increasing testing and contact tracing to continue limiting the virus’ spread.
Steinacher also pitched a “Source Pinellas” strategy that would leverage public and private partners to obtain personal protective equipment, which has been in low supply and high demand throughout the world.
Pinellas County is already working on some innovative ways to address PPE shortages. A facility in Pinellas Park, according to Commissioner Ken Welch, is desensitizing used N95 masks so they can be safely reused. Typically those masks are used just once and then discarded.
The county is also working with Miami-Date County where facilities are able to de-sanitize 600,000 masks a day. The Pinellas Park facility can only process 1,800 a day.
Sen. Jeff Brandes, whose district represents St. Petersburg and parts of unincorporated Pinellas County, also weighed in. He said economic reopening will take “months to ramp up.”
“You have to get re-bookings and have to get people comfortable,” Brandes said about restarting the hospitality industry.
Things like restaurants and hospitals will require meticulous attention to inspiring confidence in consumers that it is safe to dine-in or stay in a hotel.
Brandes called the reopening statewide strategy as a “crawl, walk, run” plan.
Meanwhile, Pinellas County Commissioners are in ongoing discussions about potentially opening beaches and private pools. Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton and Sheriff Bob Gualtieri have both recommended beaches open.
A St. Pete Polls survey returned Monday night, however, shows public support for such a move is lagging. That poll found only 37% of respondents backed opening the beaches while 56% opposed it.
Commission is expected to make a decision on the matter during its meeting sometime Tuesday morning.
