Winter Park closes golf course
The Winter Park golf course and boat ramps are closed indefinitely despite being approved activities under Orange County’s “stay-at-home” order meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Winter Park commissioners reaffirmed the closure decisions Monday during a special meeting broadcast through a webinar. The decision was initially made Thursday during a work session.
The county’s order took effect Thursday and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said Monday he will likely extend the order beyond April 9.
Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary noted he drove by the golf course Monday afternoon and saw four people teeing off who were standing close together.
“I can kind of go either way on this,” Leary said of the closures, “but unfortunately, when people practice bad behavior it looks like we’re almost encouraging it by keeping the course open.”
Winter Park joins Maitland in closing its boat ramps within the city.
Commissioner Carolyn Cooper said keeping the sites open creates the illusion that the city is not taking the virus threat seriously.
“I just believe that as a community, and certainly as community leaders, we need to be giving the message very clearly that we are going to defeat this virus,” she said. “We are in a war. This is not something to be taken lightly.”
Four people in Orange County have died of
COVID-19 and 56 others have been hospitalized here. As of Monday evening, there are 300 confirmed cases among county residents, according to the state health department.