LOCAL & STATE:
Here’s where you can find masks, hand sanitizer
Mayor Demings said a curfew in place will end on Monday, the same day distribution will begin of 1 million masks and 200,000 travel-sized bottles of sanitizer for Central Florida’s small businesses who need them.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said a curfew in place for seven weeks will end on Monday, the same day distribution will begin of 1 million masks and 200,000 travel-size bottles of hand sanitizer for small businesses who need them as Central Florida’s economy starts humming again.
The mayor said at a Friday update on the response to the coronavirus pandemic that he expects 20,000 small businesses to be helped by the supplies to be handed out at six drive-through sites across the county.
Demings also celebrated Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement Friday that barbershops and hair salons will be allowed to open with certain restrictions on Monday.
Orange County had led a charge for those businesses to be able to reopen safely and hosted the governor at a local salon last weekend. DeSantis’ plan for reopening the state did not set a clear timetable for salons.
Demings said he had hoped DeSantis would allow the businesses to open before Mother’s Day on Sunday.
“We missed it by just a hair,” he said, suggesting families could treat mom to a pampering session next week.
Officials encouraged residents to keep Mother’s Day gatherings small this weekend in an effort to help the region continue a positive trend of fewer confirmed cases of the virus.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he planned to see his mother, but does not plan to give her a hug this year.
“My mother has always been there for me,” Dyer said. “Changing the way I honor her on this special day is a way that I can be there for her.”
Sheriff John Mina said residents have mostly followed such social-distancing guidelines in public places. And there were few violations of the nighttime curfew, which went into effect March 20. It will end just after 5 a.m. on Monday.
He said his agency only had to advise a gym and a tanning salon last week that they weren’t yet permitted to open.
Demings said the 1 million masks and 200,000 bottles of travel-size hand sanitizer are intended to help more local small businesses as well as small nonprofit groups reopen, though there won’t be enough for every business.
“Although that sounds like a large shipment, there are 90,000 small businesses throughout Orange County,” Demings said. “We intend to accommodate 20,000 of them. That was the supply we were able to get our hands on.”
Businesses or nonprofits with between three and 40 employees can qualify for the free supplies and must fill out a form at the county website to obtain an appointment at one of the six pick-up sites.
Distribution will run Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or until supplies run out.