Could one neighborhood be behind this Sarasota community’s COVID-19 spike?
SARASOTA, Fla — Sarasota’s 34232 ZIP code now has more COVID cases than anywhere else in the county, and residents are wondering: is the local Amish community to blame?
The Sarasota County government posts regular updates on their Facebook page mapping out COVID cases reported within the previous 14 days. The 34232 ZIP code includes Pinecraft neighborhood, a sizable Amish community. Some speculate that the Amish, who have been known to flout the local mask ordinance and gather in large groups, are significantly contributing to the rise in cases.
According to U.S. government data, 34232 has an above-average population density and a below-average land area, meaning residents are somewhat clustered together. Of roughly 30,000 residents, about 3,000 of them are Amish, and most of them live in Pinecraft. This may be just 10% of the area’s population, but Pinecraft covers a good chunk of land.
Wearing masks goes against traditional Amish values, which are rooted in “a healthy suspicion of others and government.” The city’s mask mandate is also nearly impossible to enforce due to Governor Ron DeSantis’s choice to ban punitive action against mask violations.
Christian Bunker lives in the 34232 ZIP code and works as a valet supervisor for a busy downtown hotel. He doesn’t doubt that the Amish are contributing to the community’s disproportionately high number of COVID-19 cases.
“They don’t wear masks,” he said. “It totally makes sense that they could be spreading [the virus] because they just go out and about and do their thing.”
He added that Amish visitors at the hotel usually show up without masks despite the hotel’s mask requirement policy. On multiple occasions he’s provided masks, which they often still do not wear.
But there are other factors Bunker believes may have led to the rise in cases. Christians — many of them leaning Conservative — represent a big part of his small community. There are several churches and even a private Christian school. Many Christians and Conservatives do not wear masks, claiming that it violates their personal and/or religious rights.
“They use the Bible as some excuse not to [wear masks],” he said. “[They’re] making it political.”
Kristie Moore, who shares the 34232 ZIP code and formerly taught at the private Sarasota Christian School, agrees that the Christian community may be part of the problem. SCS instructors have told her there is no mask enforcement there and the school is basically conducting business as usual.
“You know that school just had a homecoming? Who has a homecoming in the middle of a pandemic?” She asked.
Moore and her husband have contracted the virus and are frustrated with reckless anti-maskers. But there’s another reason they’re upset.
Florida has been victim to a dangerous trend, dubbed “vaccine tourism.” The Florida Department of Health reported over 45,000 people have traveled to get their doses in Florida while many full-time residents are stuck on waiting lists. Until the end of January, the only residency requirement was proof that you’d been in the state for at least thirty days.
“My godmother from Ohio came down here, she comes down here like every year to vacation and she doesn’t own any property here,” Moore said. “She got her vaccine in Destin, Florida, and all she had to do was prove that she was renting a place for 30 days.”
Travelers are also coming to Florida in droves because they know they will not face any pandemic-related restrictions. Sarasota attracts visitors from all over the world, and Pinecraft welcomes them with open arms and old-fashioned comfort food.
So, are the Amish behind the surrounding community’s COVID spike? It’s hard to say. Although they are likely a part of the problem, there’s other factors at play. However, it wouldn’t hurt if Pinecraft residents were more cautious.
