St. Lucie County Issues Safer at Home Order 

St. Lucie County Issues Safer at Home Order 

St Lucie, Fl (treasurecoasst.com)- St. Lucie County has issued a Safer-at-Home Order to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19, effective Saturday, April 4 at 6 a.m.

This applies to all residents and business within St. Lucie County including the cities of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie. Residents do not require a pass or a letter to show to authorities. No curfews are being enacted at this time. Safer-at-Home means all residents are directed to stay at home as much as possible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In an effort help comply with the Safer-at-Home Order, all St. Lucie County offices and facilities will closed on Friday, starting April 3 at least through April 24. Several county departments have closed or have shifted to limited public hours and access.

What residents can do:

  • Go to the grocery, convenience or warehouse store;
  • Commute to and from work if your employer is an essential business or has ensured you can maintain at least 6 feet from your co-workers or customers;
  • Go to the pharmacy or other medical establishments to pick up medications and other healthcare necessities;
  • Go to medical appointments (but first, check with your doctor or medical provider)
  • Go to a restaurant for take-out or drive-through only;
  • Care for or support a friend or family member in need
  • Take a walk, run, or exercise outside – just remember to practice social distancing — that means at least 6 feet between you and others in the community
  • Walk your pets or take them to veterinarian offices;
  • Take your child where they need to go if its directed by a custody sharing agreement or order

Non-essential businesses that are unable to maintain the required physical distancing (6 feet) to keep employees and customers safe, should close.  Businesses who have questions about how the order impacts them can call the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County at 772-336-6258 or visit https://youredc.com.

Essential businesses include:

  • Grocery stores
  • Restaurant delivery and drive through
  • Airlines, taxis and other private transportation providers
  • Gas stations
  • Laundromats
  • Veterinarian offices
  • Businesses engaged in food cultivation, including farming, livestock, and fishing
  • Businesses that provide shelter and social services
  • Hardware and gardening stores
  • Firearm and ammunition supply stores
  • Newspaper, television, radio and other media services
  • Businesses that provide food and shelter

Essential services include:

  • Fire Rescue
  • First responders
  • Law enforcement
  • Essential federal, state and local government employees and military personnel
  • School district employees providing services during this state of emergency
  • Medical and health-related personnel
  • Mass transit personnel

For additional information and updates relating to St. Lucie County, please visit: www.stlucieco.gov/covid-19 or call the Public Information Lines at 772-460-HELP (4357) between Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

City of Fort Pierce officials continue to urge residents and visitors to abide by social distancing guidelines and preventative measures set forth by the CDC during this critical time: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html.

 

  1. LUCIE COUNTY’S SAFER AT HOME ORDER

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Fort Pierce reminds residents that they are safer at home.  To further this effort, St. Lucie County Administrator Howard Tipton executed a Safer at Home Order today, which:

  • Encourages citizens to stay at home as much as possible during the continued COVID-19 crisis and allows travel outside the home to essential activities (e.g. grocery shopping, outdoor activities, doctor and pharmacy visits, and providing essential structure and utility services)
  • Allows non-essential activities, so long as social distancing and other CDC Public Health Mitigation Strategies requirements are followed
  • Is less restrictive than total lockdowns or shelter-in-place regulations, which prohibit movement outside of the home or a particular location until further notice

To view the Safer at Home Order, visit: https://www.cityoffortpierce.com/DocumentCenter/View/7721/SLC-Safer-At-Home-Order-3-31-20.

SPECIAL EVENTS

As of today, all City of Fort Pierce special event permits are canceled through April 30. In addition, all shows and rentals at the Sunrise Theatre are also canceled or postponed through April 30.

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

Temporary Use of Right-of-Way for Businesses

To assist local businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19, the City of Fort Pierce will allow temporary use of the right-of-way as a short-term pick up or drop-off zone. Restaurants that have transitioned to takeout and delivery only will be allowed to utilize the right-of-way for takeout pickup and delivery. These zones will be restricted to 10-minute parking to increase convenience for the quick pickup and delivery and provide adequate room for social distancing of six feet or more.  Businesses that would like to apply for this free, temporary permit can do so online at:https://cityoffortpierce.com/163/Permits.

St. Lucie Economic Development Council Web Portal

In an effort to keep businesses informed with the most current information available to assist your business and employees during this challenging time, the St. Lucie Economic Development Council established a COVID-19 Business Assistance Resource Web Portal.  This tool was developed to provide all federal, state and local resources in one place. The web portal can be viewed on the EDC website at www.youredc.com.

 

Small Business Administration

Visit the Small Business Administration website at www.sba.gov for a host of small business guidance and resources including: Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Loan Advance, SBA Debt Relief, SBA Express Bridge Loans, Guidance for Businesses and Employers and more.

 

SCHOOLS

St. Lucie Public Schools campuses remain closed through May 1, 2020. All state assessments have been canceled for this school year.

St. Lucie Public Schools Child Nutrition Services Department will serve free meals to children in St. Lucie County from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday – Friday. Click here for a list of locations: https://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/blog/free-meals-for-children-starting-on-march-23rd/.

 

SLC PUBLIC INFORMATION HOTLINE

St. Lucie County’s Emergency Management staff is expanding the hours of operations for the Public Information Hotline to help residents answer general questions about local government efforts relating to COVID-19. That number is 772-460-HELP (4357). The Public Information Lines will be operational Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

CITY OPERATIONS

City Hall remains closed to the public until further notice. Essential services like police, solid waste and utilities are not impacted. City of Fort Pierce staff continue to serve the public during this closure via phone, email and online services. The building department is open to by appointment only, please call: 772-467-3199. For a full staff directory, visit:https://www.cityoffortpierce.com/Directory.aspx?DID=5.

 

OUTDOOR RECREATION

Residents may engage in outdoor activity and recreation in wide-open areas not otherwise closed to the public, while maintaining social distancing.

  • All City of Fort Pierce beaches are closed, including South Causeway Park and Jaycee Park. All other city parks remain open at this time
  • The boat ramps at Jaycee Park and Fisherman’s Wharf are open
  • The Indian Hills Golf Course is open

 

COMMUNICATION

We are committed to keeping our residents safe and informed – all public notices will be provided on the city’s website, social media channels and Fort Pierce TV Channel 27. Residents may subscribe to receive updates through the “COVID-19 Information” alert center on the city’s website: www.cityoffortpierce.com. Archived updates are also available on the city’s website.

 

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