Rick Kriseman calls for mask compliance, aims for 5% COVID-19 positivity rate

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman addressed coronavirus concerns Tuesday afternoon, discussing compliance and case numbers. 

“We must remain vigilant in our efforts,” he said. “Mask compliance has been terrific lately, and we appreciate that… I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing with the numbers.”

As of Tuesday morning, Pinellas County has 13,925 confirmed cases. So far, 1,160 people have been hospitalized and 334 people have died from COVID-19. St. Petersburg recorded 5,982 of the total cases countywide.

Pinellas County has seen a major increase in case numbers in June and July.

Currently, 15% of Pinellas County hospital beds are available — 723 beds. More than half of those are in St. Pete, the Mayor said. Only 55 ICU beds are available, or 16.8% of ICU beds in the county. COVID-19 patients make up 30.5% of the county’s ICU beds. The county has 463, or 73%, of its ventilators available.

The average positivity rate, the percentage of coronavirus tests that come back positive, for the past seven days was 8.8% in the county. The two week average is also below 10% at 9.2%.

The city’s goal, Kriseman said, is to have a positivity rate under 5%. 

The Mayor called for compliance with social distancing and mask requirements for small businesses and restaurants in the area and encouraged residents to consider wearing masks not just indoors, but outdoors as well. 

“We also need our restaurants to continue to heed our directives,” Kriseman said. “We will cite you if we find a violation, because we know that directives without enforcements will not produce the outcome we need.”

State testing is open at Mahaffey Theater in downtown St. Pete Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

“Whether you have symptoms or not, please get tested,” the Mayor said. 

Florida has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., with more than 360,000 confirmed cases since March. Local leaders, including Kriseman, have criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis for what they describe as a poor response to the crisis.