Broward County Declares Local State of Emergency; Establishes New Set of Precautions

Gov. Ron DeSantis declares a State of Emergency in response to Coronavirus

Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry declared a local State of Emergency on March 10 after the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) announced a new positive case of COVID-19 in Broward County. This is the fourth local case of coronavirus in Broward County, and through their epidemiological investigation, FDOH has now tied three of the four local cases to Port Everglades through a cruise services company that operates there.

Broward County is in ongoing communication with the State Department of Health and the Governor’s Office, who are also working with the Centers for Disease Control and the White House about activities in Broward. The County is continuing to take precautionary measures that will protect its employees and residents who rely on local government for important services.

New precautions include:

  • At noon on March 10, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) moved to a Level 2 activation, allowing the County to initiate emergency response activities that help support our partners, particularly the FDOH and Port Everglades. While a State of Emergency is declared, the County is maintaining its normal business operations.
  • Staff needed to help support the emergency response will be asked to work in their normal office locations, on their normal schedules, unless they are specifically needed at the EOC.
  • Broward County has formed a business team to address issues related to operations – comprised of Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, and other high impact business areas.
  • Broward County is working with the Supervisor of Elections office and the Florida Department of Emergency Management to ensure proper hand sanitizing measures are in place so that residents feel comfortable going to polls to vote in the March 17 and future elections. Cleaning will continue while the polls are open.
  • Broward County Parks are waiving cancellation fees for patrons who choose to cancel bookings.
  • As an early response to the COVID-19, Broward County stepped up its cleaning procedures in all County facilities.
  • Business-related travel for County employees to destinations identified by the CDC as Level 2 or 3 areas was suspended.
  • At the Broward County Commission meeting, commissioners agreed to mount a public education and awareness campaign to help educate our community on important precautionary measures and healthy habits.

If you are concerned that you have been exposed to COVID-19,  Broward county is asking to please call 954-412-7300 before traveling to any health care facility.

Author: Amanda Jones
Author: Amanda Jones

Amanda Jones specializes in social media marketing. She holds a Master's degree in Social Media Management from the University of Florida and a Social Media Professional Certificate from the University of Miami.

Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news directly in your email inbox.