HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County amended its safer at home order Thursday, to bring it more in line with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ phase one plan to of reopen Florida’s economy.
Members of the County‘s Emergency Policy Group got the latest information from county health workers, and it seemed to be encouraging.
“Trending lower, which is what we want to see,” they said.
Hillsborough County’s own safer at home restrictions had been set to expire May 15th.
Policy Group members asked the county’s public health director, Doug Holt if he was comfortable following Governor DeSantis’ plan.
“I certainly fully support the plan,” Dr. Holt said. “And I believe we must move forward and reopen.”
Several members of the public also asked the Commission to lift restrictions.
Under the governor’s plan, restaurants and retailers can operate at 25-percent capacity indoors, so long as they follow CDC guidelines when it comes to wearing masks and cleaning surfaces. Social distancing of 6 feet or more must also be maintained.
Bars, gyms, movie theaters and businesses offering personal services, such as hairdressers, remain closed.
Board members say a key factor in their decision to align themselves with the governor‘s plan is that Hillsborough County appears far more ready now to test, trace and respond to future COVID-19 flareups.
The county says it’s rapidly moving towards its goal of about 2,250 tests per day. It’s currently assembling teams to trace any potential outbreaks. And they‘re confident in their rapid response capabilities at eldercare facilities, which are still considered the most vulnerable.
“I too, support the governor’s reopening plan,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said. “But we’ve got to have the information, the data on the number of tests that were giving, the number of positive tests, and most important – hotspots -so that we can respond quickly to those.”
Mayor Castor was the lone vote against rescinding the local order.
"I voted against today's EPG motion because we, as a county, need to continue doing what's right by our residents. We need to be able to react quickly at the local level as we witness the effect of reopening the region on the frontlines," Castor wrote. "And, we need to take a thoughtful approach to reopening out county so that folks can get back to work safely and we can get back to all the things we love about or region"
Hillsborough County and other local municipalities reserve the right to put tougher restrictions in place if they feel it’s necessary. The governor’s phase one order does not supersede local authority to enact tougher rules.
Hillsborough’s EPG also voted to approve an extension of its state of emergency status, so it can maintain its ability to purchase emergency materials and eventually seek federal reimbursement for money spent reacting to the COVID-19 outbreak response.
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