Both the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and Naples City Council declared local states of emergency at special meetings this afternoon.
Related: Local State of Emergency Subject of County Meeting.
Their actions do not affect private businesses but rather just the operations under those entities’ control.
For example, while county parks and facilities will remain open, all organized sporting activities in those facilities will be canceled. The county manager, working with the Department of Health, will decide if and when the half-dozen fitness centers within those parks should be closed. BCC Chairman Burt Saunders will work with the county manager to decide how future county commission, advisory board and other scheduled meetings should be handled. The county will keep its workforce in “full regular pay status” even if some workers’ work hours are modified or if they work from home as a result of COVID-19.
Supervisor of Elections Jennifer Edwards confirmed that “as of now,” elections will be held tomorrow as scheduled. Since over 80 election workers have “excused themselves” from working tomorrow, staffing at all polling locations will be reduced. Edwards asked that, “if there are lines, please be patient. It’s a short ballot so the line should move quickly.”
- Proclamation of the Board of County Commissioners, Collier County, Florida, Declaring a Local State of Emergency, BCC Agenda Packet, 03/16/20
- Naples declares state of emergency in response to coronavirus, election still held Tuesday. winknews.com, 03/16/20
As of 12:38 p.m. today, six cases have been confirmed in Collier County, of which five are travel-related. For the state as a whole:
Monitor the latest at the Department of Health COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard here.
Finally, this afternoon President Trump urged Americans to avoid traveling and gathering in public spaces and issued new guidelines recommending that for the next 15 days Americans avoid gatherings of more than 10 people; avoid discretionary travel; avoid eating in bars, restaurants and food courts.
- Trump says coronavirus crisis could go through July or August. thehill.com, 03/16/20
Please stay safe and monitor the latest COVID-19 news via local online and TV media.