ABOVE: Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings (center), Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (center L) and other officials at a press conference to declare a local state of emergency March 13. Photo courtesy Orange County Government
ORLANDO | As Central Florida started reporting its first cases of the coronavirus, COVID-19, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer held a joint press conference March 13 to declare local states of emergency.
“We are living in some unusual times which call for unusual measures,” Demings said. “We are now at a critical point in the coronavirus threat. New cases of positive tests are being determined daily throughout Florida.”
As of press time, the Florida Department of Health has 160 confirmed positive cases of coronavirus with five deaths. In Central Florida there are three cases in Orange County, four in Osceola County, four in Seminole County, seven in Volusia County, one in Lake County and one in Brevard County.
“Most of the tragedies or disasters or natural emergencies that we’ve had have been localized,” Dyer said. “This one encompasses the entire country and we need to respond as a country but more importantly we have to localize it and do everything that we can in our community to make sure our citizens and out visitors are safe.”
Following the press conference, the City of Orlando suspended all city-hosted, city-sponsored and city-permitted events of 250 or more people. Orange County has also suspended all events of 250 people or more as well as suspended jury trials for two weeks and utilities will suspend service disconnections due to nonpayment.
Local LGBTQ organizations and businesses began posting resources, policy updates and cancellations as local and federal health officials started encouraging “social distancing” within the general population.
The LGBT+ Center Orlando posted to its Facebook March 13 that while The Center will remain open for individual counseling and testing for HIV, Hepatitis C and STIs, all events and groups facilitated by staff members would be cancelled through the end of the month including OWL Senior Social, T& Coffee, SPARK Men, SPARK Women, Gender Identity & Caregiver Group, Word by Word and Men’s Speakeasy. All other groups will meet at the discretion of the facilitator.
Hope & Help announced that its facilities will be closed until April 6 with all appointments being conducted virtually during that time. The nonprofit HIV organization previously announced that it would be postponing its annual AIDS Walk, originally scheduled for April 18 at Lake Eola Park.
Central Florida’s arts community is also feeling the effects. The Dr. Phillips Center, Bob Carr Theater, the Orlando Ballet, Central Florida Community Arts, Amway Center, the Garden Theatre, Opera Orlando and many more all announced they are postponing or cancelling shows at least until the end of March. Orlando’s Spring Fiesta in the Park, scheduled for April 4 and 5 at Lake Eola Park, has also been cancelled.
LGBTQ clubs and bars are limiting what spaces they will be opening. Southern Nights Orlando announced March 16 that the nightclub will be closed until further notice, however Southern Craft and District Dive will continue to open as usual. Parliament House and Savoy both issue statements March 13 that they too will continue to open but have implemented plans of action to keep employees and guests as safe as possible.
The management team at Club Orlando, a men’s only sauna club and athletic venture, announced that the facility will close for 30 days as of March 16.
The One Orlando Alliance, a coalition of more than 30 LGBTQ organizations, announced via social media that it will be staying in contact with local LGBTQ businesses, nonprofits and organizations to try and address the needs of Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ community.
For continued updates on local guidance, visit Orlando.gov/COVID-19 and OCFL.net/EmergencySafety/Coronavirus, and visit WatermarkOnline.com, keyword coronavirus for more information on community closures.
