Orange County has slightly adjusted its stay-at-home policy that will take effect today, March 26, at 11 p.m.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he is making the adjustment to the two-week order to allow for non-essential businesses to do needed administrative functions on-site such as payroll, to pay vendors, check security or to facilitate others working from home. Businesses that were added in the new order include Realtors, insurance agencies and funeral homes, among others.
"It is important to remember, just because you can legally operate and have your employees on site doesn't mean that you should," Demings said.
Other clarifications in the policy include the ability for legal firms to do business at courthouses and correctional facilities as needed.
Orange County has a full list of regularly asked questions on the essential businesses here and will place the amended order online here. The move comes as there are over 110 cases and four deaths from the coronavirus in Orange County, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Some other Florida counties also have ordered non-essential businesses to close. Osceola County also has a stay-at-home order going into effect on March 26 at 11 p.m. for two weeks.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered on March 20 that Broward and Palm Beach counties close non-essential businesses to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, sister paper South Florida Business Journal reported. The move came after Miami-Dade County issued a similar order that is effective through March 31.
Businesses that were considered non-essential in the Broward and Palm Beach counties' order include restaurants, bars, taverns, pubs, banquet halls, cocktail lounges, breweries, cabarets, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys, arcades, gyms, fitness studios and beaches.
Seminole County officials said on March 26 that they would not issue a stay-at-home order yet, as the data does conclude that that county needs to do so. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said during a March 26 news conference that the county will consider those measures if residents do not follow social distancing.
DeSantis previously said he does not want to issue a lockdown for the entire state.
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| Rank | Prior Rank | Business |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Walt Disney World Resort |
2 | 2 | AdventHealth |
3 | 3 | Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort |