Gulf County Coronavirus Update 3-20

The Gulf County Chamber reminds you to seek trusted sources for updates on the latest COVID-19 information. Make sure to verify before sharing.

Due to Pubic Health Concerns, the Gulf County Board of County Commissioners has voted to TEMPORARILY close all public beaches effective immediately. This will be reevaluated weekly as the situation is monitored. This decision was made for the health, safety, and well-being of our residents and visitors. By working together, we can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Gulf County Board of County Commissioners emergency meeting can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQzcqZZjaC8&feature=youtu.be All meetings are listed on the official website for Gulf County Florida at: http://www.gulfcounty-fl.gov/

From: Jessie Wagner Pippin Public Information Officer Florida Department of Health in Gulf County 3/20/20 COVID-19 UPDATE: Your local health department is here to assist you with questions related to COVID-19 (new coronavirus). There are NO confirmed cases in Gulf or Franklin County.  Gulf and Franklin County Health Department Locations are OPEN and will remain open as staff continue to work on the COVID-19 response efforts. Florida Department of Health in Gulf County:  850-227-1276 Florida Department of Health in Franklin County: 850-653-2111   There is also a hotline available at 866-779-6121 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov. COVID-19 have you feeling…STRESSED/ANXIOUS/DEPRESSED/UNSURE? NEED SUPPORT? CALL 850-270-8911, available 9-5pm EST. If you are in need of immediate mental health services call one of the agencies below available 24/7: ·        National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) ·        SAMSA Disaster Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 or the Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741-741 TESTING Call your health care provider first or if you are symptomatic to determine the need for testing. If a person thinks they have COVID-19, they should call their health care provider before going to their office so the provider can take precautions to prevent exposing other people. In some cases, they are going to meet you in the parking lot. It’s just a precaution. We are really trying to keep our healthcare workers safe. Other patients safe. Review your signs, symptoms and travel history with your physician. Your physician will evaluate you for other possible causes of respiratory illness and also contact the county health department to coordinate COVID-19 testing.  ·        To be prioritized for testing, patients must meet the state’s criteria, which evaluates a combination of symptoms and risk factors. Their samples will be sent to the closest laboratory. ·        If you don’t meet priority criteria, you can discuss with your provider about possibly getting tested at a commercial laboratory (e.g. LabCorp or Quest). ·        State lab results are generally available within 24-48 hours. Commercial labs can take three to four days. Turnaround time can for all be affected by demand.   A MESSAGE FROM YOUR LOCAL TDC: Please help document the economic impact of COVID-19 on tourism by clicking on the link below to take Destinations Florida’s survey. Your answers are confidential and will be seen only by Downs & St. Germain Research who is doing this work pro bono.  Take 5 minutes NOW. Thank you. https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5511823/COVID-19-Impact If you need personalized help, please reach out to our concierges via email at Concierge@Visitgulf.com. We are here to answer your questions. For up to date information on businesses and travel, follow the Gulf County Florida Tourism Facebook page.   Gulf County Chamber of Commerce resource list: http://business.gulfchamber.org/list/       CLOSURES All schools will be closed until April 15. The Instructional Continuity Plan (ICP) will begin Monday, March 30. will be implemented on Monday, March 30th. The school feeding program will begin Monday, March 23. Meals will be ready at both elementary schools between 11:30-1:00 local time and will be delivered to each established bus stop 5 hours after the normal scheduled morning pick up time (i.e. if 7:30am is normal pick-up time, lunch will be delivered at 12:30pm).   ALL Government Buildings will be closed to the public effective at the close of business on March 18. You may reach any department by telephone or email.   GOVERNOR ISSUED EXECUTIVE ORDER REGARDING BARS, BEACHES AND RESTAURANTS:   RESTAURANTS, BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS On March 17, Executive Order 20-68 requires all bars and nightclubs to close at 5 p.m. and remain closed for 30 days. Additionally, restaurants are to operate at 50 percent capacity and allow for the six-foot distance recommendation between groups. All restaurant workers are also required to be screened prior to reporting for work and prohibit entry for any employees displaying symptoms of the illness.   BEACHES The Governor is directing parties accessing public beaches in the state of Florida to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance by limiting their gatherings to no more than 10 persons, distancing themselves from other parties by 6 feet. BEACHES ARE SUBJECT TO CLOSE IF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ORDER.     MASS GATHERINGS Continue to follow information from the CDC on mass gatherings. CDC, in accordance with its guidance for large events and mass gatherings recommends that for the next 8 weeks, organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 10 people or more throughout the United States.          SMALL BUSINESS LOANS On March 17, Governor DeSantis activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The bridge loan program provides short-term, interest-free loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury from COVID-19. The application period is open and runs through May 8, 2020. Interested businesses should visit FloridaDisasterLoan.org for more information.   To get the latest information, visit FloridaHealth.gov and follow on Social Media: Florida Department of Health: Twitter @HealthyFla or Facebook @FLDepartmentofHealth Gulf County Florida Emergency Management: Facebook @GulfCountyEmergencyManagement Jessie Wagner Pippin Public Information Officer Florida Department of Health in Gulf County 2475 Garrison Ave. Port Saint Joe, FL 32456 Office Phone: (850) 705-6103 Cell Phone: (850)227-4193 Fax: 850-227-7587 E-mail: Jessie.Pippin@flhealth.gov Webpage: www.floridahealth.gov

Visit the Gulf County Chamber's Business Directory for contact information for local businesses. http://business.gulfchamber.org/list/

From: Sean J. Lewis, F.C.C.M. Community Program Manager Office of Community Partnerships Florida Department of Economic Opportunity   The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has additional resources for small business have sustained economic injury as a result of COVID-19 located in Florida. Visit http://floridajobs.org/rebuildflorida/businessrecovery for the latest assistance. Check back frequently as funds are allocated to keep Florida OPEN!

3/20/2020 Florida Department of Health Updates New COVID-19 Cases, Announces One New Death Related to COVID-19, 6 p.m. Update 03/20/20 ~510 positive cases in Florida Residents and 53 positive cases in non-Florida residents~ To keep Florida residents and visitors safe, informed and aware about the status of the virus, The Florida Department of Health has launched a COVID-19 dashboard that will be updated twice daily. Today, as of 6 p.m., there are 563 total** Florida cases. One person has died in Pasco County who had previously tested positive for COVID-19.  New Florida cases include: 43 additional positive COVID-19 cases (36 Florida residents and 7 non-Florida residents) reported to the Florida Department of Health. There are currently 510 positive cases in Florida residents and 53 positive cases in non-Florida residents. Florida recently partnered with private laboratories around the state to expand COVID-19 laboratory testing capacity. This partnership will increase the number of tests conducted each day and ensure Floridians receive the critical health information they need in a timely manner. Expansion to private laboratories changes the COVID-19 testing landscape in Florida. Private laboratories are running tests as they receive swab samples from practitioners. Testing and reporting times vary among commercial and DOH laboratories. Demographic information may be updated during investigations. These twice daily reports reflect the state’s efforts to accurately and transparently share information.  More information on a case-by-case basis can also be found here. For more detail on Florida resident cases, please visit the live DOH Dashboard here.  * Florida residents that are diagnosed with COVID-19 and isolated out of state are not reflected on the Florida map. **Total cases overview includes positive cases in Florida residents and non-Florida residents tested in Florida. More Information on COVID-19 To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, please visit the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), please visit the CDC COVID-19 website. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, please visit the travel advisory website. For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

Resources for businesses: At what point do we need to consider closing any government buildings/offices?  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community-mitigation-strategy.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html How do we best protect our workforce that has face-to-face contact with the public? CDC Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers (strategies for employers) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html OSHA Website for workers and employers https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/ (OSHA) Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf OSHA Quick Card How to Protect yourself in the work place during a Pandemic https://www.osha.gov/Publications/protect-yourself-pandemic.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/healthcare-supply-ppe.html What should we do if one of our employees is Isolated or Quarantined? Reference document, Cleaning and sanitization measure to prevent the spread of disease https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html https://www.americanchemistry.com/Novel-Coronavirus-Fighting-Products-List.pdf OSHA Website for workers and employers https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/ How will first responders know to implement their virus protection plan for responding to homes with individuals that are quarantined?  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-for-ems.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-law-enforcement.html

Joe Whitmer Executive Director   Gulf County Chamber of Commerce 321B Reid Ave Port St Joe, FL gulfchamber.org 850-227-1223 Office

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