Message from the City Manager / COVID-19

To the Residents of Marco Island:

As we work together to prepare for and navigate the disruptions to our lives brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak it is important to continue to act thoughtfully and rationally.   The City of Marco Island urges all Islanders to continue to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and the State Department of Health, as outlined in the links provided here.   We are working with local hotels, restaurants, churches and other venues for assembly to ensure that they are aware of and adhering to those guidelines as well.  I am very pleased to report that every single one of those with which we have spoken is already very diligently putting those recommended measures into place, and all share our commitment to doing whatever we can to protecting the health of our residents and visitors, as well as our own employees.

We have also met with the major hoteliers to discuss activities on the Marco Island beaches.  They are working with their guests to ensure that the recommended social distancing protocols are being followed even on the beach, and I urge Island residents to do the same, especially in areas of typically high concentration such as Residents Beach.  We are monitoring the beaches, and if these measures are consistently ignored, which they haven’t been as of now, closing our beaches remains an option.  As it is currently, a long walk on the beach remains one of best forms of escape for many.  We haven’t been told not to go outside, only not to congregate unnecessarily.

There is very rarely a good time for panic, and now is most definitely not a good time.  The positive aspect of this event is that individuals have significant ability to limit their own risk by limiting their exposures, and closely adhering to the recommended hygiene guidelines.  We urge Islanders to continue to do exactly that.   Keep in touch with your neighbors, especially our older residents as many are already sheltering in place and we all need to help ensure that their needs are met, or that they have someone to call.

I have always seen hurricanes as slow-moving events.  We watch the forecasts for days, even weeks, and when and if they finally arrive we may feel the effects for many hours, and the after effects for much longer.  COVID-19 makes that hurricane look like a flash in the pan in that the effects have been very slow to develop, the preparations dragging out now over multiple weeks, and the likelihood that we will remain in some level of response mode for some weeks or months to come seems highly likely.  And most notably it comes with many unknowns as to how the pandemic will play out.

As with a hurricane, however, which also carries unknown outcomes,  we will work together to mitigate risks as best we know how, listen to our state and national health officials just like we watch The Weather Channel during hurricane season, and ride this out together, adapting as we must as conditions change.

Best Wishes,

Mike McNees

City Manager

City of Marco Island