Orange County exploring ‘tougher’ virus measures.

Demings: Orange ‘exploring’ tougher measures to stop virus

With the COVID-19 positivity rate rising and other health data tilting in the wrong direction, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he would continue to “explore our regulatory authority” over businesses which ignore mandated coronavirus safety protocols.

“We’re monitoring these numbers really on a day-to-day basis,” he said at a press briefing Thursday. “If the numbers stabilize then perhaps we can avoid more punitive types of measures... But if the numbers continue to increase then I’ll make a determination on whether we can use our authority to create some type of fines or penalties for businesses we find to be non-compliant.”

The positivity rate, commonly viewed as a measure of the virus’ presence in a community, has increased from less than 5% to 7.4% over the past two weeks. The World Health Organization considers a community to have the virus under control with a rate of 5% or less.

Despite concerns, Demings said he did not believe closing businesses was necessary now.

“We don’t want it to get to that point,” he said.

“We want our businesses to be successful and to remain open which is why we come to these press conferences and we plead with the various types of businesses to simply cooperate,” he said. “They can control their own destinies to some extent by simply making certain that their patrons are socially distanced and everyone who should be wearing masks are wearing masks.”

More than 500 new COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday in Orange County, which has ramped up free testing.

A drive-through site at Barnett Park will now be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Demings mandated face coverings — but not penalties — when COVID infections began peaking in the summer.

Following a several-month infection decline from huge summer spikes, Florida has seen a mid-autumn climb in cases.

The rising infection rate appears linked to small groups, said Alvina Chu of the state Health Department in Orange County.

“You can see clusters within

households where small children [were infected] and then parents and then grandparents and then next door neighbors,” said Chu, who reviews and analyzes COVID case data. “From contact tracing, you can identify that the families got together over the weekend to celebrate whatever small gathering....There’s not been some large super spreader event.”

She said the data requires a warning about Thanksgiving gatherings.

“Certainly if you are sick, don’t go to Thanksgiving dinner. If you have taken a [COVID] test and don’t have the results back yet, don’t go,” Chu said.

But warnings may not be enough to break tradition for families accustomed to being together.

“We’re all tired of the pandemic precautions,” she said. “I get tired of saying them sometimes.”

Chu said she asked the grocery store bagger and a cashier if they planned to wear face masks at Thanksgiving.

“The one guy was like, ‘Absolutely not. It’s my family. Why would I even consider doing that? And then the other guy was like, “Absolutely I will because I don’t want to kill my grandma.”