'It takes a team': Former Mayor Coniglio praises Palm Beach's early COVID-19 response
Gail Coniglio's final year as mayor of Palm Beach was a challenging one, as COVID-19 upended life across the island.
The longtime public servant, who was halfway through her fifth term as mayor when the pandemic got underway, confronted an increasingly complex situation amid rising concerns about public health and safety.
By early March 2020, Florida had confirmed its first case of the illness, prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency on the ninth of that month.
That same day, the town published a webpage to keep residents informed about the coronavirus. It included information on how the illness is transmitted, its symptoms, ways to prevent being exposed, and links to the websites for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida Department of Health, and Florida League of Cities.
"All we were trying to do is kind of get our feet under ourselves," Coniglio told the Daily News. "Because it was certainly a catastrophe and uncharted territory."
Coniglio and town officials quickly took action, agreeing to develop preventive measures and emergency response plans to protect the public, particularly those who were more vulnerable to serious illness.
In consultation with staff, department heads and local health officials such as Palm Beach County Health Department Director Dr. Alina Alonso, the town closed beaches, canceled public meetings and other large-scale events, implemented mask mandates and issued a town-wide curfew.
Those measures were intended to ensure public well-being, Coniglio said, but they remained flexible in the early days of the pandemic as guidance frequently changed.
"Alina was able to guide us probably moment by moment, because the protocols were very fluid," Coniglio said. "Once the decision was made to go through lockdowns, the town then took the steps to manage that even in Town Hall. We held meetings by Zoom for the first time ever. Once we started to reopen, there was social distancing. There were measurements that people had to stay within."
While some people resisted the COVID-19 restrictions in their communities, Coniglio said Palm Beach residents expressed few concerns. "I think there was a total buy-in from our community," she said. "All of the residents understood that."
The town's first vaccine distribution event, which occurred near the end of Coniglio's term, was one of its most important achievements during the pandemic. Held Jan. 5, 2021, the clinic drew 800 residents to the South Fire Station on South County Road.
Two more events brought the total number of residents who took part in the town's vaccination program to 1,200.
Coniglio praised the efforts of town administrators, led by then-Fire-Rescue Chief Darrel Donatto, to secure vaccines for residents.
"I think it takes a team, and it was an effort, not only from the perspective of the elected officials and town staff, but the community at large," Coniglio said. "We all rallied together to make that happen."
Reflecting on the start of the pandemic, Coniglio praised the town's efforts to protect the community's health and safety.
When asked if there was anything the town should have done differently, she responded with a firm no.
"I don't want to say we did everything right," she said. "But we checked all the boxes to make sure we were staying within the protocol and the measures that kept everyone safe."
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Former Mayor Coniglio praises Palm Beach's COVID-19 response efforts
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