Gulf County Coronavirus Update 3-26

The letter above can be found HERE

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 E-mail: Jessie.Pippin@flhealth.gov Webpage: www.floridahealth.gov 3/25/20 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.  For Daily Gulf County COVID-19 Updates straight to your phone: text GULFCOVID to 888777 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.    MENTAL HEALTH 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 VISITOR ADVISORY New guidance on travel is as follows to help stop the introduction of COVID-19 in our communities. This is important as we continue to get calls from visitors wanting to visit Gulf and Franklin: 1. People attempting to travel into Florida from other states: • All persons who enter the State of Florida from an area with substantial community spread – (widespread across their entire state or defined areas in their state) – need to isolate or quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time of entry into the State of Florida or the duration of the person’s presence in the State of Florida, whichever is shorter. • This includes the following places and more: New York Tri-State Area: (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York), Georgia, California, Illinois, and Colorado. Please see the US map on this CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html. If you hover over a particular state it indicates if there is community transmission in the state (Ex. widespread or defined area). If you click on the state, it will take you to the state health department website for more information. If you have questions, please reach out to us as it is ever changing. 2. Keep in mind Florida also has defined areas popping up around the state. Examples like Broward, MiamiDade, Palm Beach, and more. 3. CDC Guidance for Travelers from Countries with widespread Sustained (Ongoing) transmission can be found at https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/travelers/   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 COVID19 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. GOVERNOR ISSUED EXECUTIVE ORDERS: TRAVELERS On March 24rd, Governor DeSantis issued an addendum Executive Order 20-82, directing all persons whose point of departure originates from outside the State of Florida in an area with substantial community spread, to include the New York Tri-State Area (Connecticut, New Jersey and New York), and entering the State of Florida, to self-quarantine/self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time of entry into the State of Florida.  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.  Gulf County Chamber of Commerce resource list: http://business.gulfchamber.org/list/ MEDICAL PROCEDURES On March 20, Executive Order 20-72 was issued prohibiting medically unnecessary, non-urgent or nonemergency 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 with 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.  MASS GATHERINGS Governor DeSantis reminded Floridians to limit gatherings to 10 or less people (even in private residences) and practice social distancing. Additionally, he encouraged businesses to have non-essential employees telework if they are able to. 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.    CLOSURES & RESTRICTIONS: Florida State Parks will close to the public effective Monday, March 23, 2020. BEACHES: An order issued March 20, states ALL GULF COUNTY BEACHES are TEMPORARILY closed for 7 days. Emergency Order Closing Gulf Beaches 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. 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.  SCHOOLS All schools including Early Head Start and Head Start will be closed until April 15. The district is working on an Instructional Continuity Plan for home-based learning until schools reopen. This plan will be implemented on Monday, March 30th. Beginning March 23rd, lunches will be served at Port St. Joe Elementary and Wewahitchka Elementary from 11:30 – 1:00 PM, local time. Lunches will also be delivered by school buses. Buses will run their regular morning pick-up routes on a PLUS- 5-hour adjustment for time. An example is, if your normal pick-up time is 7:30 AM, then add 5 hours… which means your lunch will arrive at your regular bus stop by 12:30 PM local time. Lunches will be delivered Monday through Friday. At this time lunches will be delivered through April 15, but can be adjusted longer, if necessary. Again, lunch program begins today! With questions. Please visit your schools website or Gulfcoschools.com LIBRARIES Port St. Joe County Library is closed until further notice. The Wi-Fi services will remain on 24/7 and is accessible from the parking lot STAY INFORMED: To get the latest information, visit FloridaHealth.gov and follow on Social Media: Florida Department of Health: Twitter @HealthyFla or Facebook @FLDepartmentofHealth Gulf/Franklin County Community Health Improvement Partners: Facebook Gulf/Franklin County Community Health Improvement Partners

The information contained in our daily update digest is collected from information from local, state and federal agencies delivered each day. The Gulf County Chamber reminds you to seek trusted sources for updates on the latest COVID-19 information. Make sure to verify before sharing.

From: Jim McKnight, Director Gulf County Economic Development Coalition 1000 Cecil Costin Blvd.,Suite 400 Port St. Joe, Fl. 32456 Cell (850) 832-0227 Office (850) 899-9259 Email jmcknight@gulfcounty-fl.gov     Gulf County Businesses,   Keeping our small businesses open and preserving the workforce are the top economic priorities for surviving and rebounding from the COVENT 19 Crisis!   Please find below information that could assist you in assessing your damages and in finding resources to hang on until the crisis resides. Many of you will find familiar the bridge loan described below as over 100 businesses in Gulf County received that loan after Michael. (Some within 10 days after application).   STATE RESOURCES FLORIDADISASTER.BIZ Florida’s emergency response to help businesses prepare, respond and recover from disaster: https://floridadisaster.biz/ BUSINESS DAMAGE ASSESSMENT SURVEY To assist in assessing the impacts to Florida businesses, please complete the survey at:  https://floridadisaster.biz/BusinessDamageAssessments   EMERGENCY FINANCING TOOLS SMALL BUSINESS EMERGENCY BRIDGE LOAN PROGRAM The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program is currently available to small business owners located in all Florida counties statewide that experienced economic damage as a result of COVID-19. These short-term, interest-free working capital loans are intended to “bridge the gap” between the time a major catastrophe hits and when a business has secured longer term recovery resources, such as sufficient profits from a revived business, receipt of payments on insurance claims or federal disaster assistance. DESIGNATED DISASTER AREAS:  All Florida counties statewide per Executive Order 20-52. QUALIFIED APPLICANT: Applications will be accepted by qualified for-profit, privately held small businesses that maintain a place of business in the state of Florida. All qualified applicants must have been established prior to March 9, 2020, and suffered economic injury as a result of the designated disaster. Qualified small business applicants must be an employer business with 2 to 100 employees. AMOUNT:  Up to $50,000 per eligible small business.  Loans of up to $100,000 may be made in special cases as warranted by the need of the eligible small business. TERM:  1 year. LIMITATION:  Only one loan may be made per eligible business. All previous bridge loans received MUST be paid in full. INTEREST RATE:  Loans will be interest-free for the loan term (1 year). The Interest rate will be 12% per annum on the unpaid balance thereafter, until the loan balance is repaid in full.  Loan default is subject to a normal commercial collection process. Application Period: Applications will be accepted by qualified Florida small businesses under this program through May 8, 2020, contingent on the availability of funds. TO APPLY:  https://floridadisasterloan.org/ U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION’S ECONOMIC DISASTER INJURY LOAN If you have suffered substantial economic injury and are one of the following types of businesses located in a declared disaster area, you may be eligible for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL): Small business, small agricultural cooperative, most nonprofit organizations. LOAN AMOUNTS AND USE: Substantial economic injury means the business is unable to meet its obligations and to pay its ordinary and necessary operating expenses. EIDLs provide the necessary working capital to help small businesses survive until normal operations resume after a disaster. The SBA can provide up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred. Your loan amount will be based on your actual economic injury and your company's financial needs, regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage. ELIGIBILITY AND TERMS: The interest rate on EIDLs will not exceed 4 percent per year. The term of these loans will not exceed 30 years. The repayment term will be determined by your ability to repay the loan. EIDL assistance is available only to small businesses when SBA determines they are unable to obtain credit elsewhere. A business may qualify for both an EIDL and a physical disaster loan. The maximum combined loan amount is $2 million. EIDL FACT SHEET:  TO APPLY: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2Fela%2FLoanApplication%2FStartApplication   Here is some great information regarding Paid Leave and IRS tax credits for businesses with less than 500 employees impacted by COVID 19. Please see the information and contact below:                           Karen L. Russell                           Senior Stakeholder Liaison                           Communication & Liaison Outreach (C&L) Field Operations                           Email: karen.l.russell@irs.gov                           Mobile: 478-334-1998                           Fax: 877-477-8492   Small and midsize employers can claim two new refundable payroll tax credits to reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing employee leave related to the COVID-19 outbreak. See #IRS info at: www.irs.gov/coronavirus   Businesses’ with less than 500 employees can get funds to provide employees with paid leave, either for the employee’s own health needs or to care for family members. More on this and other #IRS info related to COVID-19 outbreak at: www.irs.gov/coronavirus   To take immediate advantage of new paid leave credits, businesses can retain and access funds that they would otherwise pay to #the IRS in payroll taxes. Learn more about this and other #IRS info related to COVID-19 outbreak at: www.irs.gov/coronavirus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2020 Contact: Joint Information Center on COVID-19 for the State of Florida (850) 815-4940, ESF14@em.myflorida.com   The State of Florida Issues COVID-19 Updates   TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The State of Florida is responding to COVID-19. In an effort to keep Florida residents and visitors safe and aware regarding the status of the virus, the Florida Department of Health will issue this update every day, seven days per week.    Governor Ron DeSantis is in constant communication with Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz and State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees as the State of Florida continues to monitor and respond to the threat of COVID-19.   Today, Governor DeSantis held a briefing at the State Logistics Response Center and a briefing via live stream, where he announced additional efforts to respond to COVID-19: The State Logistics Response Center (SLRC) is running logistics missions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is being done with support from the Florida National Guard. At the SLRC, Florida will continue to deploy COVID-19 test kits, collection swabs, N95 masks, surgical masks, surgical gowns, goggles, gloves, respirators, ventilators, hand sanitizer, water and much more throughout the state as we continue to fight the spread of this virus. Governor DeSantis announced that hurricane supplies normally held at the SLRC have been moved to provide additional capacity for COVID-19 supplies. Governor DeSantis thanked President Donald Trump for granting his request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Florida, triggering the release of Federal Funds to help people and communities recover from COVID-19. Florida’s Surgeon General, Dr. Rivkees, is responding to Governor DeSantis’ direction and is issuing a public health advisory urging the following: Persons 65 years or older are encouraged to stay home for 14 days; Persons with certain underlying medical conditions are encouraged to stay home for 14 days; All employers are encouraged to utilize telework; and Consistent with CDC guidance, all individuals should avoid social gatherings of 10 or more. Actions the state has taken to respond to COVID-19: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH At the direction of Governor DeSantis, State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees declared a Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 in Florida. Governor DeSantis announced that the State ordered an additional 2,500 test kits to supplement the adequate resources already available to test for COVID-19. These additional test kits will enable the Department of Health, working with Florida health care providers, to test up to an additional 625,000 individuals. The Governor also suspended non-essential in state and all out-of-state travel for state employees for 30 days. Established an Incident Management Team to coordinate response operations. Defined a high-level phased response strategy for COVID-19. Activated a dedicated incident command post for on-site response activities. Conducted three public health and health care stakeholder conference calls to provide statewide updates on the current outbreak situation, response actions and guidance for pandemic planning. Over five hundred participants joined the calls. Established a public call center for questions regarding COVID-19. The call center launched Monday, March 2 and is open 24/7. Developed and distributed COVID-19 presentation materials to County Health Departments (CHD) for use at community meetings. Activated the Joint Information Center in coordination with the Division of Emergency Management. Developed and implemented protocols for investigation, surveillance and monitoring for COVID-19 to rapidly detect and contain cases.   Established mechanisms for monitoring and coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding epidemiological activities. Distributed CDC Interim Guidance for public health personnel evaluating Persons Under Investigation (PUI) and asymptomatic close contacts of confirmed cases at their home or non-home residential settings to CHDs. Approved and disseminated an updated Clinician Screening Tool for identifying COVID-19 PUIs. Implemented testing at all three State Public Health Laboratories. Distributed updated CDC guidance for schools to CHDs and the Department of Education. Distributed updated laboratory guidance regarding implementation of testing at State Public Health Laboratories. Developing a laboratory surge plan. Identifying and monitoring close contacts of presumptive cases. Any close contacts with symptoms will be tested. Implemented private lab testing. Developed and disseminated pandemic planning guidance.  Advised CHDs and HCCs to retain expired personal protective equipment until further until further notice. Developing infographics for first responders (fire, law enforcement and EMS) regarding infection control and personal protection for COVID-19.  At the Governor’s direction, a public-private partnership has been put in place between Memorial Healthcare in Broward and the National Guard to set up a mobile testing unit. At the direction of Governor DeSantis hiring additional epidemiologists from university health programs to help with workload. Governor DeSantis directed the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to extend all existing nursing home and assisted living facility licenses for 90 days to remove distraction from patient care. Developed a public website for addressing COVID-19: floridahealthcovid19.gov. Launched an interactive data tracking dashboard on floridahealthcovid19.com that is updated twice daily. Developing protocols for County Health Departments in the protection of their staff and clinic activities through the development of safety and health guidance. Continue to have daily hospital calls and began having daily calls with the aging and vulnerable population groups. Continue to coordinate efforts for obtaining lab testing supplies. THE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT To support communities responding to COVID-19, Governor DeSantis has directed FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz to expedite the delivery of more than $170 million in Hurricane Irma reimbursements to cities, counties and hospital districts that have now reached the 50-percent auditing threshold to receive funds. After conducting a thorough assessment of needs, Director Moskowitz has requested the following supplies through Direct Federal Assistance. Supplies are being delivered on a rolling basis, and inventory is being distributed throughout the state 24 hours a day. 5 mobile intensive care units 5,000 ventilators 5,000 hospital beds 50,000 two oz. bottles of hand sanitizer 250,000 coveralls 500,000 gloves 500,000 gowns 500,000 collection kits 100,000 16 oz. bottles of hand sanitizers 150,000 Personal Protective Equipment kits, including coveralls, gowns, and goggles    2 million N95 face masks Find more information on DEM’s response to COVID-19 here.  AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION AHCA expanded its event on the Emergency Status System (ESS) requesting hospitals to enter information on Personal Protective Equipment and ventilator counts. The ESS continues to track census information, emergency room status updates, isolation beds, and nursing home and assisted living facility bed capacity. AHCA and the Department issued guidance for Senior Living Communities (independent living) on COVID-19 best practices, advising facilities to cease communal activities, practice social distancing and restrict community outings. AHCA distributed telemedicine guidance to health care providers for behavior analysis services. AHCA distributed an overview to iBudget providers of the revised payment methodology that will be used over the next few months to help support providers of adult day training, residential habilitation, life skills development level 1-companion and in-home personal supports. Retention payments will be made to give necessary financial support to providers who would otherwise not receive payment due to current public distancing requirements. Secretary Mayhew is working directly with hospitals and large health systems to identify potential vacant wings or buildings to provide additional hospital inpatient capacity should it become necessary. On March 16, Florida became the first state to receive CMS approval of its 1135 Medicaid Waiver giving AHCA more flexibility for its COVID-19 response efforts. This federal action lifts Medicaid prior authorization requirements for critical health care services and allows for expedited provider enrollment. The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) will be granting a 90-day extension to all licenses for health care providers and regulated facilities. AHCA is distributing information regarding regulatory flexibilities created by waivers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) related to skilled nursing facilities, critical access hospitals, home health agencies, durable medical equipment, provider enrollment, etc.  Find more information on ACHA’s response to COVID-19 here. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION DBPR has suspended all official business visits, including inspections, that involve licenses located at a facility covered under the visitation restrictions implemented pursuant to FDEM Emergency Order 20-002. Find more information on DBPR’s response to COVID-19 here.  DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DCF is working with DOH to develop precautionary protocols for child welfare professionals and adult protective investigators who may have to make in-person visits to ensure the safety of those vulnerable populations. Find more information on DCF’s response to COVID-19 here. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS New inmate commitments from county jails have been temporarily restricted. Anyone entering a correctional institution will be screened in accordance with CDC and Department guidelines. FDC has suspended visitation and volunteer programs at all correctional institutions statewide through April 5, 2020. All non-critical inmate transfers have been suspended. Outside inmate work squads have been restricted. Find more information on FDC’s response to COVID-19 here. DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY Florida’s 24 local workforce development boards are available to provide career and business services remotely, with services and technology varying by location. For more information, visit careersourceflorida.com. Governor DeSantis’ request to the federal U.S. Small Business Administration to make the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program available for Florida’s small businesses impacted by COVID-19 has been granted. Small businesses are eligible to apply for the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans that offer up to $2 million in economic assistance to help small businesses overcome the temporary loss of revenue resulting from COVID-19.  Governor Ron DeSantis activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The bridge loan program, managed by DEO, 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 FloridaDisaster.Biz for more information. The Business Damage Assessment survey is activated to assess the impact of COVID-19 on Florida’s local business operations. The survey, managed by DEO, will evaluate businesses affected by COVID-19 and the impacts the virus has had on the local economy so actions to implement appropriate relief programs can begin. The survey can be taken online at https://floridadisaster.biz/ Find more information on DEO’s response to COVID-19 here. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran directed public and private K-12 and career and technical center campuses to closed through April 15, 2020, and institute distance learning by March 30th.  To support students with identified IEP-related services who may have a disruption in services, school districts are given flexibility for the remainder of the school year to provide alternative services or delay services until later in the summer months, in coordination with a student’s parents and IEP team.  Find more information on The Department of Education’s response to COVID-19 here. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION At the direction of Governor DeSantis and to successfully uphold CDC guidance to maximize social distancing and avoid gatherings larger than 10 people, DEP closed all Florida State Parks to the public effective Monday, March 23. In addition, since Tuesday, March 24, public access to lands within DEP’s Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas has been closed. Find more information on DEP’s response to COVID-19 here. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES At the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor has issued an Emergency Order extending all Florida driver licenses, commercial driver licenses and identification cards that will expire now through April 15, 2020. Pursuant to Executive Order 20-52 issued by Governor Ron DeSantis, FLHSMV Executive Director Rhodes has waived commercial truck hours of service regulations and other related regulations so that emergency supplies, equipment, commodities and resources can be moved more quickly and efficiently throughout the state. Find more information on FLHSMV’s COVID-19 response here. OFFICE OF INSURANCE REGULATION OIR has issued Informational Memorandum OIR-20-04M providing general guidance on the treatment of policyholders as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to protect Floridians. Guidance within this memorandum includes: Encouraging regulated entities to be flexible with premium payments in order to avoid a lapse in coverage and only consider cancellation of policies if all possible efforts to work with consumers to continue coverage have been exhausted; Removing exclusions on certain personal auto exclusions; Exploring virtual options for underwriting and adjusting claims and for premium audits of employers’ records; and Other general considerations, including a 30-day extension for the filing of annual statements for certain regulated entities. OIR has issued Informational Memorandum OIR-20-03M directing all insurers and other entities regulated by OIR to review and update their business continuity and/or continuity of operations plans. Companies are directed to immediately contact OIR if their continuity plans are activated and/or if business operations become compromised so it can work with insurers to avoid any disruption in consumer services. OIR has issued Informational Memorandum OIR-20-02M as a reminder to all health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and other health entities to allow for early prescription refills following the Governor’s Executive Order 20-52 declaring a state of emergency in Florida. Find more information on OIR’s COVID-19 response here.   FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has issued an emergency order that will suspend visitation at all state-operated juvenile detention centers and juvenile residential commitment programs until April 15, 2020. DJJ has also instituted additional screening measures for outside vendors who work within juvenile facilities. Find more information on DJJ’s COVID-19 response

http://live.oysterradio.com/