Osceola also says to stay home
Seminole, Lake remain holdouts as officials say they are unconvinced in taking drastic measures
Osceola County announced Wednesday that it would join Orange and order residents to stay at home, but Seminole and Lake remained holdouts, with officials there saying they were still unconvinced of the merits of such drastic restrictions in reducing spread of the novel coronavirus.
The order in Osceola will begin on Thursday along with Orange’s and last for two weeks. Together, the orders restrict many of the movements of more than 1.7 million people in Central Florida.
“While we haven’t seen the number of cases as many other places have experienced, we know that it’s only a matter of time unless we take action,” said
Viviana Janer, the chairwoman of the Osceola County Commission. “Like our partners north of us in Orange County, we believe the stay at home order is the most effective means to combat the spread of the virus.”
Opposing attitudes in Seminole and Lake show how the more drastic social-distancing policies are being politicized, as President Donald Trump said this week he is anxious to restart a reeling economy and Gov. Ron DeSantis said again on Wednesday that a statewide stay-athome order isn’t necessary.
Jeff Triplett, the mayor of Sanford, which is Seminole’s largest city, said he is frustrated by the lack of cohesiveness among local leaders across Central Florida.
He said the region’s responses to hurricanes have never been so politicized.
“This is an unprecedented time, but it just seems a very disjointed effort at this point,” he said. “We’ve done a much a better job with natural disasters. … And we really need to be all on the same page right now.”
Seminole commission Chairman Jay Zembower said it may be too early to order residents to stay at home or even abide by a curfew.
But he wants to look at all the data before deciding. Seminole officials will meet on Thursday with all seven mayors from the county to discuss the next step. They are planning a news conference at 2 p.m. to announce whether the county will enact any new restrictions such as a stay-at-home order similar to Orange and Osceola.
“Personally, I’m not in favor of it,” Zembower said. “What we’re seeing is that a great deal of people in our community are heeding the advice — even without a mandate — to stay at home. Assisted living facilities have locked everything down. The sheriff is telling us that crime has gone down 40% because people are staying at home. Restaurants and stores have shut down. For the most part, I think, the people of Seminole County, at this juncture, are doing a good job of self policing.”
In Lake County, commission Chairwoman Leslie Campione said her county is not moving toward a stayat-home mandate or a curfew. Rather, in a letter to residents, she urged seniors or those with weak immune systems to not head out in public.
“We are asking that you stay at home at this time to avoid any contact with someone with the COVID-19 virus,” she said. “Please do not go to the store or to public places. But instead ask friends or relatives or delivery services to bring food, prescriptions or other supplies to you. I realize this is an inconvenience, but it may save your life.”
Campione later added that a stay-at-home order has to be carefully crafted to make sure it has an effect in reducing the number the cases.
“You have to look at the efficacy of such an order,” she said. “Is it going to accomplish what you want it to accomplish, or are you perhaps going to create more problems?”
But Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said on Wednesday that varying policies across county lines could contribute to the outbreak.
“I would hope that other counties would look at the order that has been executed in both Orange and Osceola county and adopt something similar because it’s far easier to support and have citizens react to this if we are consistent across the region,” he said.
Zembower pointed out that Seminole had 29 confirmed cases of the virus, fewer than half of Orange’s 77 cases, according to the Florida Department of Health. Seminole – with a population of about 460,000, or less than half of Orange’s population – is the third most densely populated county in Florida.
“But as time goes on, if people do get passive, then we would have to look at all measures,” he said.
Thursday’s Seminole meeting with city officials will take place over a teleconference and include Zembower, Sheriff Dennis Lemma, county Manager Nicole Guillet, deputy county Manger Tricia Johnson, Emergency Management Director Alan Harris, Seminole Health Officer Donna Walsh and Seminole Medical Director Todd Husty. They will be joined by the mayors and city managers of Seminole’s seven municipalities.
Seminole Commissioner Amy Lockhart said she also wants to look at the data. However, she added, that Seminole may need to consider a “stay-at-home” policy if cases continue to rise and neighboring counties enact such restrictions.
“This virus doesn’t know where county borders are,” Lockart said. “As a conservative who likes everyone to take personal responsibility, this is a life-and-death, health-related emergency. And people, unfortunately, are not taking the personal responsibility to heart. Many are, but many are not. … If we really are going to flatten the curve, then we may need to put something in place. Because there are people that are not taking the recommendations seriously.”
Orange and Osceola’s orders will take effect at 11 p.m. Thursday, part of an effort to slow down the virus and to ensure that medical facilities – including hospitals, doctors, nurses, beds and equipment – are not overwhelmed by a growing number of cases.
Only people traveling for essential business, including trips to work, the grocery store, pharmacy or the bank, will be allowed to venture out. The order comes with a long list of exemptions that allow gas stations, construction sites, liquor stores and other businesses to stay open. Residents also would be allowed to walk, run or exercise outside but would be discouraged from doing it in groups.
Zembower said the measures have too many exemptions.
“I have zero interest in putting any directive out that does not have not teeth or enforceability or gives the majority of the people an excuse [to leave their home],” he said. “For the most part it allows people to do what everyone does on a daily basis anyway.”