Local Government Updates for St. Lucie County

STATE WIDE

From the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR): Compliance Concerns During Safe, Smart, Step-by-Step, Plan for Florida's Recovery:

Under Phase 2 of the Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery, licensed restaurants may:

Operate at fifty percent of the establishment’s indoor capacity;
Operate at full capacity in outdoor areas with appropriate social distancing;
Operate with seated service at bar areas; and
if the sale of alcoholic beverages represents 50% or less of the restaurant’s gross revenue, offer sales of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.

Effective June 26th, pursuant to DBPR Emergency Order 2020-09, the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises is suspended for all licensed alcoholic beverage vendors who derive more than 50% of gross revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages. Notwithstanding this restriction of sales for on-premises consumption, such vendors may continue to sell alcoholic beverages in sealed containers for consumption off the premises in accordance with Executive Order 20-71, Sections 1 and 2. For More Details Click Here.

Beginning Friday, June 5th, Florida entered Full Phase 2: Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step Plan for Florida's Recovery. The Phase 2 provisions relating to these expanded business activities do not apply in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Phase 2 reopening provisions in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties will be considered after each county seeks approval with a written request from the County Mayor or County Administrator.

Restaurants may operate at full capacity outside (with proper social distancing) & indoor seating is allowed at 50% capacity. Bar-top service is allowed if patron is seated.
Bars & Pubs may operate at 50% capacity inside & full capacity outside (with proper social distancing). Bar-top service is allowed if patron is seated. The new order does not apply to nightclubs. See DBPR Emergency Order 2020-09 for compliance details.

Retail Establishments may operate at full capacity.
Gyms may operate at full capacity.
Entertainment Businesses, including but not limited to movie theaters, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys and arcades, may operate at 50% capacity.
Barber Shops, Hair Salons & Nail Salons may continue to operate while adhering to safety protocols.
Personal Services Businesses, including but not limited to tattoo parlors, acupuncture establishments, tanning salons & massage establishments may operate while adhering to guidance from the FL Department of Health.
Summer camps and Youth Recreation Camps may also operate.
Schools & Organized Youth Activities (e.g., daycare, camps) may operate, including youth sports teams & leagues, youth clubs & programs and child care.
Museums & Libraries may operate at 50% capacity if permitted by local governments.
Amusement Parks may submit re-opening plans with county approval to the State for consideration.
Professional Sports Venues may open and operate for games, events, competitions and training.
Pari-Mutuel Facilities may submit a request to open to the DBPR. The request must include an endorsement from their county major or county administrator if no mayor.
Vacation Rentals: Counties may seek approval to operate vacation rentals by submitting request & safety plan to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
University Campuses: On June 23rd, Florida Universities will be presenting their plans to Re-Open their campuses.

NOTE: In order to operate as stated above, businesses need to provide appropriate social distancing and frequent sanitation.

Florida Department of Health - latest updates on coronavirus (COVD-19)

Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) is a supplemental benefit for households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to pandemic-related school closures. Families who are eligible for the free and reduced-price school meals program under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are eligible to receive P-EBT. P-EBT benefits will be issued automatically during the month of June. More information on the P-EBT program can be found here.

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

St. Lucie County Schools Re-Opening:

St. Lucie Public Schools will be returning to traditional school beginning on August 24th, 2020. Parents could elect one of two virtual options, if preferred. The deadline to enroll in a virtual program was July 20th, 2020.

For information regarding the schooling options available, click here.
For a full FAQ on SLC Schools' reopening, including safety measures, and available schooling options, click here.

If you require assistance, please call your child’s school or 772-429-HELP.

Face Mask Ordinance for All Residents & Visitors in St. Lucie County:

Effective, Wednesday, July 15 at 8 a.m. - St. Lucie County's Emergency Order No. 20-049 calls for the mandatory wearing of face coverings for anyone in public in places where social distancing is difficult to do. This includes restaurants, retail stores, businesses and outdoor facilities. There are exemptions to the rule, which can be found online.

Click here for details.

Beach Restrictions Lifted May 7

St. Lucie County has lifted restrictions for its 21 miles of public beaches including allowing coolers, sunbathing and chairs. However, beachgoers are advised to continue practicing social distancing, limiting groups to less than 10 people and maintaining a six-foot distance between others outside their immediate family. For updated daily beach conditions, please call the St. Lucie County Beach Conditions Hotline at 772-462-1421 after 10:30 a.m.

St. Lucie County’s Marine Safety Division encourages all residents and visitors to swim at lifeguarded beaches. Pepper Park Beach, 3302 North A1A, North Hutchinson Island, and Waveland Beach, 10350 South Ocean Drive, South Hutchinson Island, have lifeguards on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. St. Lucie County’s Marine Safety provides coverage at South Beach Park, 800 South Ocean Drive, on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County (EDC of SLC) is an excellent source of information to help businesses navigate new financial assistance for employers and their employees.

Click Here for the EDC of SLC COVID-19 Business Assistance Web Portal for updated information on programs and services to assist your business and employees.

Click Here to subscribe to the daily email updates from EDC of SLC.

The Economic Development Council has established a new COVID-19 Virtual Business Recovery Center (VBRC). EDC President Pete Tesch has announced the appointment of Bill West as Executive Director. The VBRC will work in partnership with the Small Business Development Center to provide regional businesses with recovery resources, guidance, programming and consulting support. Click here for more information.

St. Lucie County Government website and St Lucie County's Facebook page

Click here for Cleveland Clinic updates and testing info

Cleveland Clinic Martin Health is performing drive-through testing at Martin North Hospital and Tradition Hospital for COVID-19 by appointment only.

Anyone over the age of 16 who has a fever and respiratory illness (such as cough, runny nose, sneezing) or any patient with a fever and gastrointestinal illness (such as diarrhea, vomiting) is eligible for testing.

To receive an appointment, individuals who believe they may have symptoms of COVID-19 must first call a nurse triage hotline at 772.419.3360, between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday - Friday and 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday - Sunday.

Individuals who receive testing will be asked to self-quarantine until the results are received.

Directions and Hours for Testing Locations:

Martin North Hospital
200 SE Hospital Ave.
Stuart, Florida 34994

Testing Hours:
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Tradition Hospital
10000 SW Innovation Way
Port St. Lucie, Florida 34987

Testing Hours:
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Emergency Information – 211 – St. Lucie County

24/7 Help Hotline: 211

St. Lucie County Emergency Operations Center: (772) 465-5770

St. Lucie County School District info and resources

City of Port St. Lucie

City of Port St.Lucie website and City of Port St. Lucie Facebook page

Keep in touch with the City of Port St. Lucie's Mayor through social media on City of PSL Mayor Greg Oravec's Facebook page

Port St. Lucie business owners can seek guidance and resources through the City of Port St. Lucie’s Business Navigator, Elijah Wooten, MBA. Visit the City of Port St. Lucie’s Financial & Business Resources during COVID-19 page here, or contact Elijah directly through email or by phone: 772-873-6374.

If you are open for business, please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey from the City. Click here to take the Open For Business Survey.

Wellness Wednesday Newsletter

With Employee Wellness in mind, The Human Resources Department for the City of Port St. Lucie has created Wellness Wednesdays, a short, weekly newsletter including a featured article highlighting a topic of local interest, a Tasty Recipe and a Mindful Video.

The first edition included an article from the St. Lucie County Health Department titled “Support your Health with Nutrition,” a recipe for Roasted Veggie Flatbread, and a video on how to meditate.

This information was pulled from the City of Port St. Lucie's City Manager Bi-Weekly Report. To subscribe, click here.

City of Fort Pierce

City of Ft. Pierce website and City of Ft. Pierce Facebook Page

The City of Fort Pierce has launched a Disaster and Recovery Grant Program for residents and businesses. The grant program will open on Monday, May 4th. The grant program includes the following:

Mortgage and Rental Assistance: provides a one-time payment equal to two months rent (not to exceed $3,000) and applicants must meet SHIP income guidelines
Small Business CDBG Emergency Relief Grant: provides a one-time payment (not to exceed $3,000) to assist small businesses (25 or fewer employees) with short term working capital
Small Business Relief Grant: provides a one-time payment (up to $7,500) to assist small businesses (26 to 100 employees) with short term working capital

Click here for more information.