From: 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
Fax: 850-227-7587
3/22/20 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
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
GOVERNOR ISSUED EXECUTIVE ORDERS:
RESTAURANTS
On March 20, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-71, directing all restaurants and food establishments to suspend on-premises food and alcohol consumption for customers. The kitchens may continue to operate for take-out and delivery services for both food and alcohol, as long as alcohol is accompanied by food and is in a sealed container.
MEDICAL PROCEDURES
On March 20, Executive Order 20-72 was issued prohibiting medically unnecessary, non-urgent or non-emergency procedures or surgeries.
GYMS AND FITNESS CENTERS
Executive Order 20-71 directs the closure of gymnasiums and fitness centers within the State of Florida. This order does NOT apply to gyms or fitness centers which are in hotels witch a capacity of 10 persons or less, are in a residential building, are inside fire or police stations or are located inside single-occupant office buildings.
PHARMACY UPDATES
Effective immediately, all BUY RITE DRUG Pharmacies will be operating via drive-through only. Staff will do what they can to assist with store items through the drive-through.
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.
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.
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
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