Demings questions request for orders
But Orange County mayor will comply
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings promised to comply with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request that leaders in all 67 counties provide him with coronavirus orders they’ve issued — and any penalties imposed for violating them — but expressed concern about the motive.
“I hope that the governor’s intent is not to further diminish the authority of local governments,” Demings said Tuesday during an afternoon briefing. “After all, as we respond to the pandemic … we have to have the ability to react and respond to the pandemic in real time based upon what we’re seeing here in our unique locations.”
Meanwhile, critical health data in Orange County appears to be trending in the right direction with the positivity rate over the past 14 days falling under the 5% threshold which some health experts have suggested means the virus is under control here. Since the pandemic began, the county rate is 11.5%.
But while there is some good news, there are worries, too.
At the University of Central Florida, 79 students living in three on-campus sorority houses have been told to quarantine after “a small number” of residents tested positive, university spokesman Chad Binette said.
Residents of Zeta Tau Alpha and Kappa Alpha Theta were directed on Saturday to start a two-week quarantine “out of concern for their health and well-being and to reduce the potential for additional spread of the virus,” Binette wrote in an email.
Residents of Alpha Epsilon Phi were given the same instructions Sunday.
Resuming in-person classes and activities at the university “is dependent on all of you taking COVID-19 seriously,” wrote Maribeth Ehasz, vice president of student development and enrollment services, to the university’s Greek community on Saturday.
“In addition to the events related to these quarantines, it
seems that other chapters have had social events that increase the risk of spreading COVID-19 to other UCF community members, friends, or family members,” Ehasz wrote. “These types of gatherings can be super-spreader events and have led to other universities around the country to move to remote instruction.”
UCF administrators, including President Alexander Cartwright held virtual meetings Saturday with Greek student leaders about social distancing protocols. The university reaffirmed Tuesday that students living on- or offcampus could face disciplinary measures, including suspension, if they host social events that put public health at risk. Students living in the quarantined houses are required to “mostly stay in their rooms,” the university said.
However, they are allowed to pick up food deliveries and other essential items from the chapter house entrances. They must wear face coverings and follow physical distancing guidelines while outside of their rooms. The university also has contacted the students who are quarantined to ask if they need help with getting food or other services during their quarantine period.
Demings also announced the county’s compliance “strike” teams would begin working weekends starting Saturday.
“What we’re saying here is seven days a week, we will be vigilant in doing enforcement and inspections,” he said.
The mayor said the schedule change was prompted by weekend complaints about businesses ignoring safety protocols.
He also said the threeperson inspection teams, which have checked up on more than 2,000 businesses to ensure they are complying with coronavirus safety measures, would begin making unannounced visits to larger theme parks soon.
The teams visited SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove and the attractions “passed with flying colors,” Demings said.
Demings created the teams to encourage businesses to follow safety protocols he imposed to prevent the spread of the virus, blamed for nearly 12,000 deaths across the state and 387 in Orange County. The mayor and the governor have not always seen eyeto-eye on safety measures.
DeSantis sent letters Sept 4 to leaders of all 67 counties asking for the coronavirus orders they issued but did not say in the letter why he wanted it.
Many counties and cities throughout the state have passed ordinances requiring masks to be worn in public since the pandemic hit Florida in mid-March. Some make violating the order a misdemeanor offense punishable by a maximum $500 fine and 60 days in jail, but others, like Orange, aren’t using penalties to enforce it.
In recent weeks DeSantis has emphasized that rules in place to combat COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, shouldn’t be permanent. He also expressed skepticism that social distancing protocols could be kept up for extended periods and has consistently noted the negative effects of lockdowns such as job losses and an increase in mental health care needs.
He asked counties to respond by Sept. 15.