COVID-19 Update: March 28

March 28, 2020

5:15 p.m.

Boat ramps to close March 29

City-by-city testing reports urged

Regional cooperation encouraged for safer at home order

City Manager Tom Barwin, in consultation with Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch and City Attorney Robert Fournier, issued additional emergency directives today to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19:

10th Street Boat Ramps and City Island Boat Ramps will close to the public at 6 a.m. Sunday, March 29.

Bird Key Park parking lot will close to the public at 6 a.m. Sunday, March 29.

In addition, the City believes it is essential for the Florida Department of Health to be transparent and report COVID-19 testing on a city-by-city basis, not just aggregated countywide data. The City strongly urges the state to immediately begin to report on a city-by-city basis with the aggregated data converted into a per capita analysis. Aggregated data on a countywide basis can be misleading for smaller counties under 500,000 in population.

The City also is encouraging county health departments along the Suncoast to work in unison to implement a safer at home order.

The local public health emergency will be evaluated weekly and extended as warranted.

Read the complete news release .

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Closed:

Boat ramps (effective 6 a.m. March 29), parks facilities and amenities, including playgrounds, basketball courts and tennis courts are closed.

All City of Sarasota buildings are closed to the public. Most operations and services are continuing with staff working remotely and a limited number of employees on-site.

To conduct business with the City, please send inquiries via email . Contacts and email addresses are available on www.SarasotaFL.Gov . Or call: 941-263-6000 .

Open:

Fishing piers and outdoor spaces remain open to the public. Proper social distancing, as directed by the CDC, must be followed with no gatherings of 10 people or more.

The Sarasota Police Department is providing public safety services around the clock and will respond to emergency calls as usual. For other non-emergency calls, Chief DiPino has instituted a temporary Telephone Reporting Unit that will be operated by a sworn officer daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Van Wezel Schedule:

Staff are working diligently to reschedule performances at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Here's the most up-to-date information:

An American in Paris (March 16, 2020) – Canceled

The Choir of Man (March 17, 2020) – New date is January 28, 2021

John Pizzarelli & Catherine Russell: A Tribute to Nat King Cole and the Ladies of Song (March 18, 2020) – Canceled; The theater hopes to reschedule their performance when possible.

America (March 19, 2020) – New date to be announced

Harry Connick, Jr. True Love: An Intimate Performance (March 20, 2020) – Canceled

Itzhak Perlman in Recital (March 21, 2020) – New date is March 8, 2021

An Intimate Evening with David Foster: HITMAN Tour Featuring Special Guest Katharine McPhee (March 22, 2020) – New date is January 31, 2021

Up, Up and Away starring Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. (March 24, 2020) – Canceled; The theater hopes to reschedule their performance when possible.