Osceola County Update: COVID-19

Published on March 16, 2020

PR20-16

Osceola County, Florida – The following is an update regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on Osceola County as of Monday, March 16, 2020.

Government operations

• Earlier today, the Osceola Board of County Commissioners convened for an emergency meeting where it voted 5-0 to declare a state of emergency for Osceola County as part of our response to the Coronavirus.
  • The County’s declaration allows us to access resources at the State and Federal level to support our community needs as well as more quickly gathering needed emergency supplies from vendors as we deal with this ongoing health crisis.
• The March 16, 2020 BOCC meeting was canceled. Status of the next scheduled meeting on April 6 will be reviewed over the next two weeks.
• The Osceola County School District is currently on Spring Break for this week, and will be closed an additional week until Friday, March 27.

Public assistance

• Between Monday, March 23, and Friday, March 27, the school district’s Nutrition Services Department will provide FREE breakfast and lunch to children 18 years and under at the sites listed here.
• Osceola County is working with organizations, including food pantries to insure those in need have access to their basic needs.
• Residents with lease agreements, or those with mortgages that need foreclosure prevention assistance as a result of the current health crisis can contact the Osceola County Human Services Department at 407-742-8400.
• Many local utilities have already announced waivers on disconnections for non-payment during this emergency. Please check with your provider.

COVID-19 Status/Safety Tips

• Osceola added three cases for a total of four on Monday, according to the Florida Department of Health.
• Osceola County officials continue to work closely with the Florida Department of Health, the lead agency during this event. For the most current information and resources, visit their website at FloridaHealth.Gov, and they also offer a 24-hour call center at 1 (866) 779-6121.
• FDOH and local hospitals have the ability to test for the virus. Please know that the best way to find about testing, if you believe you meet the criteria, is through your healthcare provide or the Health Department.
• Everyone needs to practice personal protective measures and especially social distancing as recommended by the CDC. 
  • The CDC now recommends avoiding mass gatherings of more than 10 people.
  • Keep six feet between yourself and others in public settings, and avoid any close contact with people who are sick; wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe; and other best practices to avoid the spread of germs.
• For our older adults and any age person with underlying health conditions like asthma, you are particularly at risk of severe illness – you should stay at home as much as possible, avoid both cruise and non-essential air travel as well as gatherings or other situations of potential exposures, including church attendance and social events with 10 or more people

March, 17 Primary Election

• As we know, tomorrow is Election Day. The Supervisor of Elections recommends checking the website VoteOsceola.com for any changes to polling locations. The polls are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
  • Currently, any voter who is in Precinct 106 (Good Samaritan) and is not a resident of the Good Samaritan community will temporarily have their polling location changed to Pleasant Hill Elementary School.
  • This change will ONLY apply to this election.
  •  All Good Samaritan residents will still vote at their normal polling location inside of Good Samaritan.
  • Voting is still planned at the Buenaventura Lakes, Poinciana, and St. Cloud Libraries.

Informational resources

• The Florida Attorney General has activated the price gouging hotline for anyone to report coronavirus-related price gouging.  Incidents should be reported at 1-866-9NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226) or online at visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.
• To assist Osceola County residents regarding concerns about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Osceola County has created a new webpage, Osceola.org/covid19, which includes local updates in addition to resources and updates from the CDC and FDOH.
• Community Vision offers a resource guide that may be helpful for anyone seeking services here.

Event cancelations & county closures

• Osceola County strongly advises event organizers to reconsider pending gatherings and to follow CDC guidelines. Congregations of 50 individuals present a greater risk of exposure to respiratory illnesses. Individuals should reconsider attending these high risk activities.
• Osceola County has cancelled all County-sponsored programs.
• Osceola Library will cancel all regular programs, events, and meeting room usage, effective Tuesday, March 17. The libraries will remain open for all other normal services.
  • Operation of public computers in the libraries will be limited to create the appropriate amount of social distance between users, effective tomorrow.
  • There will be a reduction in evening hours of operation so that on days when the branches are currently open until 9 p.m., they will close at 6 p.m. This will impact Monday-Thursday hours and will allow additional time for facility cleaning.
• University of Florida IFAS-Osceola County workshops and classes have been cancelled. Call 321-397-3000 if you have specific questions. 
• Osceola County parks, trails and wilderness areas remain open at present with increased cleaning processes in place.

Prescriptions

• Under Florida Law, the Governor’s State of Emergency Executive Order 20-52 allows residents to refill their prescriptions early.

• Individuals with recurring prescriptions may obtain a 30-day early refill in order to ensure medications are on hand. This law is applicable even if the prescription has been recently filled. Early refills will be noted to insurance companies and added to the patient's refill schedule. For example, if there are 10 days left on a prescription and a 30-day emergency refill was received, the patient must wait the full 40 days before the prescription may be filled again.

Información Actualizada del Condado de Osceola en Respuesta a COVID-19

Osceola County, Florida – La siguiente es una actualización con respecto al Coronavirus