ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County businesses who don’t follow proper COVID-19 protocols can now be fined by the county.
On Friday, leaders signed an executive order outlining what protocols business must follow and how those fines will work.
That order went into effect on Sunday at 12:01 a.m.
READ: Florida reports more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases for second day in a row
To comply businesses must:
- Make sure people and employees stay six feet apart.
- Ensure employees wear face coverings at all times.
- Require customers and visitors to wear face coverings.
- And post appropriate signage throughout the location.
JUST NOW: @OCFLMayor said "good actors need not worry" and that this order will impact "bad actors" who he says are business owners who pretend they care about the safety and health of people but continue to put profit over people's lives. @WFTV https://t.co/RIJ73wVcU1
— Lauren Seabrook (@LSeabrookWFTV) December 4, 2020
The order shows that businesses would have to pay a $500 fine for the first violation.
However, if the citation is issued by a special magistrate, the fine would be $1,000 per day for a first violation and $5,000 per day for repeat violators.
The plan goes on to say if the magistrate finds that a violation is irreparable or irreversible in nature, the fine would be $15,000 per violation.
READ: Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings gave an update on COVID-19 Friday afternoon to discuss the order.
He said it is time to hold “bad actors” in the community responsible for their action.
Demings said out of the more than 5,600 businesses the county’s strike team has been to they have had about a 98% compliance rate.
He said the new executive order will only impact a few bad actors who pretend to care about the public’s health but continue to put profit over people’s lives.
“It is time to hold them accountable,” he said.
I have finalized Executive Order 2020-51, which allows @OrangeCoFL to fine businesses in violation of #COVID19 safety regulations — effective, Sunday, December 6, 2020.
— Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings (@OCFLMayor) December 4, 2020
To view the Executive Order, visit https://t.co/NwUe1wNzH9. pic.twitter.com/FW85X5deHj
Between Sunday and Friday, Orange County health officials reported more than 3,000 new cases of coronavirus.
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WATCH LIVE: Orange County officials are giving an update on COVID-19 finesWATCH LIVE: Orange County officials are giving an update on COVID-19 fines. READ >>> at.wftv.com/3lGa9j6
Posted by WFTV Channel 9 on Friday, December 4, 2020
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