Lynx offers rides to Osceola vaccination site for seniors with appointments
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. โ Lynx will offer free transportation to the Osceola County vaccine site at Centro Cristiano Dios De Pactos Church for seniors and those who qualify for the COVID-19 shots. Residents can call 407-742-0000 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to coordinated a ride to the vaccine site. The transportation service will need 48 hours notice. Rides for Saturday or Monday appointments must be made by Thursday at the latest, according to county officials. โLeveraging LYNXโs expertise and resources to fill this gap was a really practical answer to a troubling issue,โ Osceola County Commissioner Viviana Janer said.
Osceola County rolling out task force to educate businesses on COVID-19 safety
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. โ Osceola County officials are rolling out a task force aimed at educating businesses about and holding them accountable for COVID-19 safety measures. According to Viviana Janer, the chairwoman of the board of county commissioners, the COVID-19 education and compliance task force will visit businesses and share coronavirus safety information in an effort to keep businesses open while also preventing the spread of the virus. Osceola County has seen its own spike in coronavirus cases recently. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Osceola County has reported more than 16,400 total infections. Statewide, Florida has reported 905,248 COVID-19 cases since March.
Osceola County revises its coronavirus mask mandate
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. โ Osceola County commissioners voted Monday to make changes to the countywide face mask mandate in response to Gov. Osceola County has required face coverings since July 20. The county commissioners voted Monday unanimously to make changes to align it with the governorโs mandate. โWe wanted to be able to offer reasonable accommodation to athletes who are competing in Osceola County to bring some semblance of normality to sporting events,โ Janer said in a statement. โBy now the consequences of not wearing a face covering should be obvious, so for the sake of your health and the health of everyone around you, wear a face covering,โ Janer said.
Nearly 6,700 Disney employees in Florida face layoffs
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Walt Disney Parks and Resorts notified the Florida unemployment department Tuesday of impeding layoffs across the theme parkโs properties that includes nearly 10% of its employees across the state. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the branch that oversees the stateโs unemployment system, was notified late Tuesday of thousands of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts layoffs. As a result, 6,390 employees of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. will be laid off beginning December 4, 2020. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Josh DโAmaro said in a statement the layoffs are due to the prolonged financial impact of COVID-19. That leaves more than 15,100 unannounced layoffs to come across Disney parks and resorts in Florida and California.
More rent, mortgage assistance coming for Osceola County residents
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. Osceola County officials have announced plans to offer more rent and mortgage assistance to residents impacted financially by the coronavirus pandemic. In total, $1.7 million will be made available for residents of unincorporated Osceola County who are having problems paying their housing bills. The county plans to use a lottery system to select which households receive the funds. The last time the county offered up housing assistance, the 500 slots available filled within minutes, which is why leaders have devised a new approach. When it does, up to $22 million could be available for distribution to help the area recover, officials said.
Osceola County to repeal curfew enacted to prevent the spread of COVID-19
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. โ Osceola County leaders announced Thursday that they would, in conjunction with Gov. Ron DeSantisโ order to reopen Florida, repeal the countyโs existing curfew on Monday. โBased on advice from our sheriff and other law enforcement agencies, we felt that removing the curfew on Monday would best serve our community as the stateโs plan comes into place,โ Osceola County Commission Chairwoman Viviana Janer said. DeSantisโ latest order, even as our Osceola Back to Work committee remains committed to a framework that works best for our unique circumstances. At the time of the announcement, the Florida Department of Health reported 478 coronavirus cases, 128 hospitalizations and seven deaths as a result of the respiratory illness in Osceola County.
Orange County and Osceola County implement curfew during coronavirus pandemic
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. โ The coronavirus pandemic has shaken up daily life in a way we have never seen. In the wake of new cases and the urgency to halt the spread of COVID-19, Orange County leaders and Osceola County leaders have decided to implement a curfew for those living within the county beginning Friday night. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said that the curfew is necessary to keep Floridians safe. Other exemptions for the curfew include Central Florida workers like medical personnel, government personnel, first responders, security personnel,โ Demings said. The Orange County Sheriffโs Office will enforce the curfew going forward, according to Demings.