City of Rockledge Issues State of Local Emergency Order Strongly Urging Face Masks/Coverings
BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ROCKLEDGE, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY ORDER STRONGLY URGING FACE MASK/COVERINGS EFFECTIVE 12:01 a.m. MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020 EXPIRES 11:59 p.m. SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020
WHEREAS, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20- 51 on March 1, 2020, directing the Florida Department of Health to issue a Public Health Emergency and on May 8, 2020, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-114, extending the State of Emergency for an additional 60 days, and on July 7, 2020, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-166, which extends the State of Emergency until September 5, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the State of Florida Surgeon General and State Health Officer declared on March 1, 2020, that a public health emergency exists in the State of Florida as a result of COVID- 19; and
WHEREAS, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-52 on March 9, 2020, declaring a state of emergency for the entire State of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-68 on March 17, 2020, in partial response to information reflecting individuals were not adhering to the CDC’s social distancing guidelines and limitations; and
WHEREAS, between March 17, 2020 and the date hereof, Governor DeSantis issued several Executive Orders placing numerous restrictions on individuals and businesses in response to the Statewide level and threat of the COVID-19 virus; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 252.38(3)(a), Florida Statutes, provides authority for a political subdivision, such as the City of Rockledge, to declare a state of local emergency and to exercise certain powers and authority to safeguard the lives and property of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, Section 13-3 (Civil emergencies) of the Rockledge Code of Ordinances sets forth that the Mayor is empowered to declare a state of emergency and to
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exercise emergency powers conferred in Section 870.0410 – 870.047, Florida Statutes; and
WHEREAS, on March 19, 2020, the City of Rockledge adopted a Declaration of State of Local Emergency relating to COVID-19 in a necessary effort to protect the public health, safety and welfare and the best interests of the City of Rockledge; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 is spread through airborne transmission and can be spread by asymptomatic individuals, and the infectious droplet nuclei can spread for a great distance; and
WHEREAS, a recent meta-analysis funded by the World Health Organization supports the use of social distancing and facial coverings to minimize transmission of COVID-19, and on June 5, 2020, the World Health Organization change its position on the use of facial coverings and now supports their use; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends use of facial coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the re-opening of the State of Florida will lead to more contact between individuals gathered together in public places, which is likely to increase the transmission of COVID-19 among individuals and the spread of COVID-19 within Florida communities; and
WHERAS, on June 20, 2020, the Florida Department of Health issued a Public Health Advisory recommending that residents wear a face covering, which helps the resident protect others from exposure as well as themselves; and
WHEREAS, according to public data provided by the Florida Department of Health, there has been a significant increase in Coronavirus cases across the state of Florida and within Brevard County; and
WHEREAS, based on the airborne manner in which Coronavirus is spread, and correlation of infection rates with the presence (or absence) of social distancing measures, it is prudent to be concerned that COVID-19 cases will significantly increase within the City of Rockledge if additional measures are not taken to stop or slow the spread of the virus.
In a further effort to reduce the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus and to protect the health and safety of citizens, residents and visitors of the City of Rockledge, I hereby declare that the City of Rockledge strongly encourages that every person working, living, visiting or doing business in the City of Rockledge wear a face covering in any indoor
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public location, particularly those services deemed “essential,” to include grocery stores, drugstores, andconvenience stores.
For the purposes of this Order, the following terms used in this Order are defined as follows:
- FaceCovering–auniformpieceofmaterialthatsecurely covers a person’s nose and mouth and remains affixed in place without the use of one’s hands, whether store- bought or homemade, concurrent with CDC guidelines.
- Social Distancing – keeping space between yourself and other people by staying at least six (6) feet (or approximately 2 arms’ length) from other people.All businesses with a storefront that allows customers in their building for the purpose of purchasing goods and services are strongly urged to post their face covering policies at points of entry in a visible and conspicuous manner for customers or other invitees to read prior to entering.All businesses with a storefront that allows customers in their building for the purpose of purchasing goods and services are requested to prohibit entry of any person who is not wearing a face covering, with the exception of the below listed persons:
- Persons under six (6) years of age;
- Persons for whom a face covering would cause impairmentdue to an existing health condition;
- Persons working in a business or profession who do not have interactions with other persons;
- Persons exercising while maintaining social distancing;
- Persons working in an office when all interactions with others is done with social distancing as recommended by the CDC;
- Persons while eating and/or drinking at a restaurant; provided, however, that face coverings must otherwise be worn in restaurants;
- Public Safety, fire and other life safety healthcare personnel, as their personal protective equipment requirements will be governed by their respective agencies;
- The requirement shall not apply when a person who is hearing-impaired needs to see the mouth of someone
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wearing face covering in order to communicate.
This Order is issued in support of the efforts to ensure public safety and health for citizens, residents and visitors of the City of Rockledge.
DONE AND ORDERED by the Mayor of the City Council of the City of Rockledge, Brevard County, Florida, this 10th day of July, 2020.
ATTEST:
___________________________
City Clerk
__________________________
Mayor, City Council of the City of Rockledge, Florida
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