RE: COVID-19 UPDATE AND INFORMATION
Dear Resident:
The health and safety of our residents is important to me as we face unprecedented and challenging times in Orange County. It is an understatement to say the virus is spreading rapidly, and we want to take every measure possible to slow the spread. Orange County currently has 143 confirmed cases as of today. Many of those infected are the men and women on the front lines of this public health crisis.
On March 24, 2020, I signed an
Executive Order calling for a “Stay at Home” mandate
for the entire county. This went into effect yesterday, Thursday, March 26, 2020, at 11 p.m., and will continue for two weeks until Thursday April 9, 2020, at 11 p.m. I did not take signing this executive order lightly. After discussion with our elected mayors and hospital partners, we believe this is the most effective way to deal with the coronavirus threat. I know this is uncomfortable, but our goal is to stop the spread of the virus and get life back to normal as quickly as possible.
Listed below is the most up-to-date information and community resources to share with your families, loved ones and neighbors. Please check the Orange County webpage
www.ocfl.net/coronavirus
and
social media channels
for frequent updates.
LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY
On
Friday, March 13, 2020, I declared a local state of emergency
as a precaution to the virus. This Executive Order allows for normal county processes to be temporarily suspended for better and more efficient emergency management as we work with community and state partners. The number-one priority for the County is to keep our community safe and we urge you to continue to monitor your personal health. Prior to the County’s announcement, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order directing a Public Health Emergency and statewide response for COVID-19 on March 1, 2020. Declaring a State of Emergency is a common, proactive practice that allows state resources and personnel to respond to major emergencies. For more information about the emergency declaration, County services, programs and community resources, visit
www.ocfl.net/coronavirus
.
STAY AT HOME EXECUTIVE ORDER
On March 24, 2020, I signed an
Executive Order calling for a "Stay at Home"
mandate for the entire county. This order calls for all non-essential retail and commercial businesses and for all residents to stay at home and refrain from non-essential travel. The order went into effect yesterday, Thursday, March 26, 2020, at 11 p.m. and ends on Thursday, April 9, 2020, at 11 p.m. The
order is mandatory and applies to all individuals
within Orange County. Unless you work for an essential business or are doing an essential activity,
you must stay home
. For more information, download the
Executive Order
and visit
Orange County’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage
.
HEALTH-RELATED QUESTIONS REGARDING CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
Orange County now has 143 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The Florida Department of Health is the lead agency monitoring infectious diseases within the state of Florida. Orange County Government is taking proactive steps to provide support to state health officials. Orange County Government does not have access to information on positive cases or testing for the coronavirus, as much of the personal information is protected from public disclosure.
If you are concerned that you have come in contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus or if you have any health-related questions regarding the coronavirus, please contact the local Health Department’s call center at
407-723-5004.
The call center is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Florida Department of Health's dedicated COVID-19 call line is
1-866-779-6121.
The call center is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can also send questions via email to
COVID-19@flhealth.gov
TESTING SITES
The State of Florida is taking the necessary precautions to keep residents safe and healthy. This includes supporting the coordination of testing sites in Orange County. These temporary drive-through testing sites will help to prevent the spread of the virus and reduce the overwhelming demand at our healthcare facilities. At these sites, individuals will have their swab sample collected and the sample will be sent to the approved testing labs.
Please review the criteria prior to visiting a testing site. Not all residents will meet the criteria for testing at these facilities.
For more information, go to
www.ocfl.net/coronavirus
TESTING LOCATIONS
Location:
Opened March 25, 2020
Open 9 a.m. daily (including weekends)
Orange County Convention Center
North Concourse Parking Lot
9400 Universal Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
Criteria for Orange County Convention Center Drive-Through Testing Site:
Anyone 65 years old or older with an on-site temperature above 99.6 and respiratory symptoms. Additionally, all first responders and heath care workers, regardless of symptom presence can be tested.
Location:
By appointment only
The Florida Department of Health in Orange County
Screening for appointments started Monday, March 23, 2020.
Call the Florida Department of Health in Orange County at 407-723-5004. Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m
.
Please note
: Orange County Government does not run these testing sites. The sites are run by FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Additionally, the test results will
not
be provided on-site and information will be given on timeframe to those discharged.
Learn more from the
State of Florida Department of Health
.
CRISIS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
With the temporary closure of many businesses, we know the weeks ahead are going to be tough. To that end, I have expanded our
Crisis Assistance Program
to help those who are rent stressed and need assistance to pay their utility bills. Orange County Crisis Assistance Hotline number 407-836-6500, was activated Monday, March 23rd to assist up to 1,500 families for the next two months. The hours of operations are from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. You can also submit your contact information online at
www.ocfl.net/COVID19RentalAssistance
to request an appointment (no walk-ins accepted). If you fill out a form, there is no need to call the number.
Program Information
DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS AND RESTAURANTS
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced new guidelines on March 17, 2020, for bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Unincorporated Orange County is following the governor’s Executive Order, asking that bars, pubs and nightclubs close for 30 days. For restaurants, new guidelines were enacted to keep patrons safe. Please see the
Executive Order
as well as guidelines and frequently asked questions for your review.
Executive Order
|
Guidelines
|
Frequently Asked Questions
CURFEW
GATHERINGS
FUNERALS AND VISITATIONS
CORNAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
Attached are fact sheets from the Centers for Disease Control that provide prevention information on the spread of the virus as well as COVID-19 facts, and what to do if you are sick. The CDC, World Health Organization, and public health entities across the globe are addressing misinformation about the disease. In addition, we have attached the Myths vs. Facts sheet about the virus for your review. This information is also available in Spanish on our webpage at
www.ocfl.net/coronavirus
.
ORANGE COUNTY NEWS CONFERENCES ON CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
I encourage you to share the series of Orange County news conferences as we continue to provide updates on the virus, and additional information on County services and programs. The link to the press conferences are available at:
www.ocfl.net/CoronavirusUpdates
BRIEF INFORMATION VIDEOS ON CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
Orange TV has prepared several brief informational videos with our local experts on the virus. The videos can be found at
www.ocfl.net/coronavirus
and click the “Resources” tab.
MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER
I am committed to keeping you informed with regular updates on Orange County’s efforts to combat the coronavirus. This is going to be an uncomfortable time for all of us, but we will pull together as a community as we have in the past. We have always met every challenge together and we will get through this challenge together as well.
Thank you for doing your part to combat this public healthcare crisis. Please let us know at any time if you would like to be removed from our mailing list.
Sincerely,
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