Pinellas Board Of County Commissioners Extend Local State Of Emergency Until May 22

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday extended its Local State of Emergency declaration for the coronavirus through May 22 and discussed a transition plan to restore certain county publiccfunctions and public meetings.

Before adopting Resolution 20-43, the Board heard from Department of Health Pinellas Director Dr. Ulyee Choe and Sheriff Bob Gualtieri on solutions to wide-ranging challenges presented by coronvirus, including new outbreaks at county nursing homes. The county’s Safety & Emergency Services department continues to work with municipal fire departments to ensure that infection control protocols are in place at all long-term-care facilities. National Guard strike teams are assisting with the testing of patients and staff.

Public Access Transition Plan

County Administrator Barry A. Burton presented options for restoring limited public access to county departments and the resumption of public meetings when Gov. Ron DeSantis implements Phase II of his Safe, Smart, Step-by-Step Plan for Florida’s Recovery.

Most county operations have continued during the coronavirus pandemic, but for the safety of residents and employees, many public-facing services shifted to online or telephone contact and drop boxes. Remote services will continue to the extent possible, but some services require personal interaction. Burton indicated the following must occur before limited public contact can be restored:

• Coordination with the constitutional officers and appointing authorities, including the Clerk of the Court, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector and Supervisor of Elections.
• Installation of physical distancing signage, floor decals and counter shields.
• Deep cleaning of all county facilities.
• Consideration of elevator occupancy guidelines.
• Enhanced sanitation practice for high-touch areas.

The Board of County Commissioners and many other county boards and councils have been meeting virtually for several weeks, with public access available via the Zoom platform. Burton proposed that in-person board meetings could resume at a location with a larger room or be held as single-topic meetings to manage attendance in line with social-distancing guidance.

Beach Update

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri updated the board on law enforcement’s commitment to enforce social-distancing requirements on the county’s public beaches. He noted that beaches could be closed if they reach capacity and that new information and closures will be communicated via @SheriffPinellas on Twitter.

A modified version of the Beach Capacity Dashboard will be activated at 9 a.m. Saturday and will provide beach and parking capacity information through this weekend. Residents heading to the beach should first check the dashboard.

Additionally, digital signs positioned throughout the county will advise motorists of the beach status.

Coronavis Website

Pinellas County continues to post all county-related coronavirus updates on its coronavirus website. Residents can find county and state orders, health information and where to get help; archived news releaeses; and information about coronavirus tresting and Pinellas CARES assistance for families, individuals, small businesses and nonprofits.

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