- April 20, 2024
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Two COVID-19-related deaths and dozens of illnesses connected to events at the Social Club of Palm Coast were preventable, Florida Department of Health-Flagler Health Officer Bob Snyder said during a County Commission meeting Oct. 5.
"This was a classic example of how a virus spreads in your community," he said. "All the suffering, all the illness and tragedy, could have been prevented though two simple, innocuous practices when indoors: social distancing and mask wearing."
"All the suffering, all the illness and tragedy, could have been prevented though two simple, innocuous practices when indoors: social distancing and mask wearing."
— BOB SNYDER, health officer, Florida Department of Health-Flagler
Snyder's comments preceded remarks by the club's secretary, Gloria April — who, while expressing sorrow that the outbreak had occurred at the club, also said that it was something that "could have happened anywhere" and criticized local press coverage of the outbreak.
But Snyder's remarks linked the infections clearly to the fact that the club — according to multiple people who spoke to the health department's contact-tracing staff — had not been enforcing social distancing and mask-wearing, contradicting April's assertions that the club had "done everything to prevent this."
When Health Department disease investigators contacted the club, Snyder said, the secretary was already keeping a list of club members infected.
"It showed 23 individuals who’d tested positive with their exposure linked to social events at the club on Aug. 21, Aug. 29, and 78% of cases connected to the evening of Aug. 28 which featured a singer performer who routinely headlined at the club," he said.
The event on Aug. 28 had initially been described by attendees as a karaoke event.
"When we interviewed the secretary of the club about their board policy regarding social distancing and mask wearing, she indicated for sure that these measures were mandated by their board, but they were not followed by members of the club, or enforced," Snyder said. "This was corroborated by several folks that our disease investigators spoke to."
"So what was the final outcome? Dozens of positive cases, two deaths, numerous hospitalizations, including some patients who are in critical condition. We also have evidence of social club members who transmitted the virus to loved ones and others, including grandchildren attending school."
The outbreak associated with the Social Club was one of three reasons for a recent uptick in case numbers, Snyder said, along with an increase associated with longterm care facilities and school reopenings. Those numbers have now started trending back downward.
Club secretary Gloria April said that the club had mandated masks and taken attendees' temperatures.
"We tried everything," she said. "It did happen at our club. We are extremely sorry that it happened at our club. It could have happened anywhere, but it was our club."
She added that the club "took strong measures immediately," including closing the club for four weeks, after learning that two club members were infected.
She then criticized news coverage of the club's outbreak and said the club has taken "strong steps" to prevent an outbreak, including spacing tables 6 feet apart and having ServPro sanitize the building after major events.
"Masks are mandated unless you have a physician's statement," she said. "We make people put their masks on; if they don't like it they have to leave."
"We are sorry that any of this happened. I don't know what else we can do to prevent — we've done everything to prevent this, and we are very sorry that this happened in your county," she continued. "And we know for a fact that it's happened at some of the other clubs, but it's happened at our club with the greatest number of people and we apologize for that."
According to the Health Department — which has described the event on Aug. 28 as the county's first super-spreader event — there have not been other local outbreaks on the scale of the one associated with the Social Club of Palm Coast.
"Simply put, the virus knows no boundaries regardless of political leanings or personal beliefs — period," Snyder said.
Once the Health Department knew of the outbreak, he said, it was incumbent on the department to alert the community to avoid future transmission.
"I personally believe that it is our civic and our patriotic responsibility to do the right thing: Mask up and social distance," he said. "Gosh darn it, do this for yourselves and the ones you love and care about. That’s what it’s all about."
