SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. -- Siesta Key Beach, one of the world's most popular beaches, on Friday afternoon had its "no swim" advisory lifted.

Meanwhile, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Friday released a red tide status update.

Red tide was observed at "background to medium" concentrations in Pinellas County, "very low to high concentrations" in Manatee County, "background to high concentrations" in Sarasota County, "low to high concentrations" in or offshore of Charlotte County, "very low to high concentrations" in or offshore of Lee County, and "background to high concentrations" in Collier County.

Fish kill reports were received for multiple locations in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties. 

SARASOTA BEACHES REMAIN MOSTLY EMPTY

County health officials say bacteria levels in the area have gone down, but other beaches in the area are still affected. And if it's not the bacteria affecting them, it's the red tide that is causing beaches and business to go vacant.

On Friday, there was clearly something missing at Longboat Key beaches -- people.

Jose and Viki Olivares were among the few people there.

"The amazing thing is, there's hardly anyone over here. We're used to it being very crowded and as you can see, there's hardly anyone here," said Viki Olivares. "We have the whole place to ourselves. We can pick any bench we want."

But pickings are slim for Michael Davis, who runs the Island Time Bar and Grill in Manatee County. A Spectrum Bay News 9 crew showed up around lunchtime Friday and we were his only customers.

"For a Friday lunch, it should be a pretty decent crowd," he said. "We get that standard lunch crowd and it kind of fills up inside. You'll have a few tables outside on the patio."

Whether it's the smell of dead fish from the red tide, or the fear of the water from the bacteria, both have been bad for business and the beaches.

And there's really nothing anyone can do about it. 

"Hold your breath. Hold your nose, hold it out, hope for the best," Davis said with a laugh.

There are reports out of Sarasota that county workers in the courthouse are being offered masks to wear at work to try and cope with the stench and the irritations that come from being exposed to all of this. 

Sarasota County officials plan to conduct further testing Saturday to determine whether the no swim advisory can be lifted at other beaches in the area.​