Pictured: Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island.

Manatee County received state approval for its plan to allow local vacation rentals reopen safely and quickly under a set of health and safety protocols.

Under the plan, vacation rental agencies may now accept bookings from residents of U.S. states with an overall COVID-19 Case Rate within the state of less than 700 cases/100K residents as of May 15, 2020. Reservations from COVID-19 hot spots identified by the Governor are to be avoided for the next 30 - 45 days. Reservations from international travelers will not be accepted.

Other guidelines spell out protocols vacation rental owners must follow to implement social distancing and still others that address the cleanliness standards of the property. County Administrator Cheri Coryea said the guidelines will be mostly self policing but if people spot potential violations they can report them as with other violations during the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year.

Other guidelines spell out protocols vacation rental owners must follow to implement social distancing and still others that address the cleanliness standards of the property. County Administrator Cheri Coryea said the guidelines will be mostly self policing but if people spot potential violations they can report them as with other violations during the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year.

“Because vacation rentals have been closed during the pandemic, we're asking that vacation rental managers take extra precautions to make sure their renters have access to and follow the guidelines in the approved plan," Coryea said. "(Owners) should ensure that their renters are aware and abide by the approved plan, but also any municipal restrictions in the city where the rental is located. Opening vacation rentals has been accelerated by the state recently and having a smooth transition in all cities and across the County is extremely important for our success.”

Pictured: Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island.