Pinellas BCC Extends Local State Of Emergency Through May 29

Press release from the Pinellas County Government:

May 19, 2020

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday extended its local State of Emergency declaration for COVID-19 through May 29 and reaffirmed its commitment to continue following state guidance.

Resolution 20-44 extends the declaration through May 29 and readopts County orders requiring social distancing at public beaches and pools, and keeping playgrounds closed. In all other categories, the County is aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Safe, Smart, Step-by-Step Plan for Florida’s Recovery and related guidance from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The governor implemented “full Phase 1” in his plan this week, which allowed many Pinellas County businesses to resume or expand operations.

Pinellas CARES programs update
Staff also updated the Board on the Pinellas CARES assistance programs for individuals, families and small businesses. Since launching the Pinellas CARES Small Business Grant program, local businesses have submitted more than 3,700 applications for a one-time grant of $5,000. The County has issued 307 checks so far, totaling $1.5 million. The program is focused on businesses with a commercial location in the county to help cover losses caused by the pandemic. Qualifying businesses can apply online through June 1.

Eligible individuals and families also have until June 1 to request emergency help paying for overdue rent and utilities. So far, Pinellas CARES Financial Assistance has helped more than 130 people pay for overdue rent or utilities, with another 641 requests in progress. Applicants can text COVIDCARES to 898211 to start the process or visit this website for more information on qualifications.

Applicants to both programs are urged to carefully review the qualifications and submit all required documents the first time they submit their application to ensure faster review.

New COVID-19 resource
In other news, the County announced today the launch of a Data Dashboard with COVID-19 related case, testing and healthcare capacity data for Pinellas County. The dashboard is available on the County COVID-19 resource website.

Staff also discussed the County’s proposed Short-Term Rentals Re-opening Plan, which was submitted as required to the State Department of Business and Professional Regulation and is currently awaiting State approval. Public notification will be provided once the approval is obtained.

This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.