Orange County task force recommends guidelines for reopening businesses; residents can report violations
Orange County will work with state to monitor first phase of reopening
Orange County will move forward with the first phase of reopening for restaurants and retail on Monday. A state agency will conduct monitoring, take complaints and issue violations if any business does not follow safety guidelines.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Orange County’s Economic Recovery Task Force recommended health and safety guidelines for businesses reopening Monday. The task force also pushing for salons to reopen.
The owner of Pom Pom’s Teahouse and Sandwhicheria in the Milk District, is happy to have guidelines from Orange County. She’s even happier they won’t be mandated.
“I think the last thing that we all need is more stress, as far as mandating it and people patrolling,” said Pom Moongauklang, Owner, Pom Pom’s Teahouse and Sandwhicheria.
Here are the health and safety guidelines being recommended:
Businesses should practice social distancing, employees should stay home when feeling sick, wear protective face covering and sanitize and wash hands frequently. High-risk employees should work from home and employers should conduct daily health screenings.
RELATED: Orange County requests that barbers, salons be permitted to reopen on Monday
“Not only take their temperature but pay attention to each employee as they come to work, each day and make sure they are physically in shape to be able to work and they’re not sick,” said Chuck Whittall, member of Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force.
If an employee has a temperature above 100, the task force is urging they be sent home.
“Hope we’re making a difference for the businesses in Central Florida,” said Whittall.
The task force is also in strong support of reopening salons and barbershops.
“We don’t understand why hair salons, nail salons, barber shops of the like, were left out most hair salons and barber shops have that six foot social distancing between the chairs anyhow,” said Whittall.
But, the county will have to take that request to the governor.
“It does not appear that I have the authority at the local level, given the current state of emergency under this pandemic to supersede the governor’s direction in this regard,” said Jerry Demings, Mayor of Orange County.
The task force recommending the mayor suggest the change.
“Mother’s Day is a week from Sunday, I know there’s a lot of women who would like to go out to dinner having their nails done and their hair done,” said Whittall.
Mayor Demings sent a letter to the Governor Friday, urging him to expand the phase one reopen order to includes salons.
A state agency will conduct monitoring, take complaints and issue violations if any business does not follow safety guidelines. If you believe any licensee is operating contrary to the Governor’s Executive Orders regarding reopening, you can file a complaint on the state website, MyFloridaLicense.com.