Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and his family are self-quarantining at home after exposure to COVID-19.
Curry made the revelation during a virtual news conference July 7. Curry said he was exposed during a recent family vacation with someone who later tested positive and was symptomatic.
Curry says he was tested after the exposure and is negative.
The mayor told members of the news media that he learned of his COVID-19 exposure July 5 and was hosting the news conference from his home instead of City Hall “as a precaution.”
“I have been tested, and I am negative. However, my family and I are self-quarantining at home. Even though I’m negative, we’re doing this in accordance with (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidance, and as a precaution for our friends, family and neighbors,” Curry said.
“I remain in constant contact with my team at City Hall, emergency management and health care leaders as we continue to respond to this pandemic,” he said.
Curry did not say during the news conference where he was when he was exposed to COVID-19 or with whom he was in contact.
Curry was on “previously scheduled time out of the office” with his family June 30 when his administration announced a mayoral proclamation mandating Duval County residents wear face masks in indoor public places where social distancing is not possible.
The legality of Curry’s mask mandate is being challenged by Florida District 32 State Rep. Anthony Sabatini in a lawsuit filed July 6 in the 4th Judicial Circuit Court.
Curry said the order was drafted in consultation with attorneys from the city’s Office of General Counsel and with advice from local hospital leaders and physicians that told city officials a mask mandate will slow the spread of COVID-19.
The mayor said July 7 that the mask mandate is an alternative to reinstituting more strict business shutdowns and pulling “levers that cause economic pain.”
“I take it seriously any time the government is going to issue a mandate and require things of people,” Curry said. “That’s a very serious decision in my mind because people want to be able to make their own decisions. … The easiest lever is just wearing a mask. So let’s just be smart and let’s be responsible.”
To date, city officials say the mask mandate will be enforced by “personal responsibility” and no one at City Hall has indicated a fine or civil citation for enforcement.
City General Counsel Jason Gabriel said in a July 1 email that under Chapter 674 in the city’s Ordinance Code, which covers emergency management procedures in times of disasters and the provision city lawyers used to determine Curry’s authority to issue the mandate, the city could level fines for noncompliance.
“A person who knowingly and willfully fails or refuses to obey, observe or enforce the provisions of an order, directive or regulation issued by the Mayor shall be guilty of a Class D offense (up to $500 fine or 60 days imprisonment),” Gabriel wrote.
Curry declined that option.
“Yes, the mask mandate is enforceable,” Curry said July 7. “As I’ve said before, we don’t want to be operating in a police state around here running around grabbing people. I’m told most people these days in stores since we’ve issued the mandate are wearing masks. I would encourage stores as well to push the issue on the mask mandate.”
Curry’s exposure to COVID-19 comes as confirmed cases of the virus continue to rise in Duval County and statewide.
The mayor and Gov. Ron DeSantis are under increasing pressure from Florida health care professionals, local faith leaders and Democratic Party officials to cancel or scale back the crowd expected at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for the Aug. 24-27 Republican National Convention in Jacksonville. The arena can hold up to 15,000 people.
The two-week peak for Duval County’s number of cases recorded in a 24-hour period was 723 on July 1, according to the Florida Department of Health. That was up from the low of 210 cases recorded June 23.
Those numbers have dropped again, with 350 positive COVID-19 cases recorded July 6.
There have been 9,835 recorded cases of COVID-19 in Duval County since the pandemic began.
Department of Health data shows 375 patients hospitalized locally for COVID-19 as of 11 a.m. July 7. Curry said 68 patients are in an intensive care unit.