Mayor Lenny Curry has signed an executive order restricting Duval County hotels from accepting reservations from “non-essential lodgers” to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The order will take effect at 5 p.m. March 31 and limits bookings to people deemed essential to the coronavirus response — law enforcement, medical workers, journalists, travelers and residents displaced and unable to return to their homes because of the COVID-19 response and others.
Curry signed the order and announced the latest coronavirus-related business restriction during a virtual news conference March 30.
In his directive, Curry said the action is meant to eliminate lodging as a point of community spread for COVID-19.
He said the accommodations are needed to shelter essential guests, as well as monthly and long-term living for some local residents.
“Unfortunately, other locations outside the city have not been as proactive or as vigilant in enforcing the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines and maintaining proper social distancing,” Curry wrote.
“Numerous persons have congregated in the state for spring break, cruises and other personal travel, thereby potentially endangering the residents of the city by serving as virus translation vectors from around the country.”
Current guests are allowed to stay through the scheduled checkout date, Curry said, but cannot extend their reservation.
The order does not apply to vacation rental properties.
It’s unclear if a city-funded small business aid package Curry said will be unveiled March 31 or April 1 will provide hotels relief. According to City Council member and Finance Committee Chair Aaron Bowman, help could include waiving fees for city services and leeway on pending payments.
Curry said last week it could include direct monetary stimulus to small businesses.
The mayor said March 30 that his administration will work directly with hotel and motel operators to implement the executive order.
The hospitality industry already has taken a financial hit from canceled travel and state-mandated bar and restaurant closures. Curry said the city will continue to evaluate how other businesses are impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
“I recognize the financial strain this is going to put on these organizations, and we’ll have to evaluate that,” Curry said. “There is no scenario where I would be supportive of people fleeing hotspots in other counties, come into our hotels and our rentals possibly carrying COVID-19 into Duval County.”
‘Work from home’ enforcement
City code enforcement officers will begin visiting businesses March 30 that are accused of prohibiting employees from working at home.
Curry issued an executive order March 23 mandating employers allow their employees to perform their jobs remotely, if possible.
As of 1:14 p.m. March 30, the list of companies accused of violating the mandate had grown to 70, spanning several industries including insurance and product sales, manufacturing, logistics and legal services.
City Director of Public Affairs Nikki Kimbleton said in an email that the Municipal Code Compliance Division will not issue citations or penalties March 30.
“We are first educating business owners on the (executive order) and attempting to get more information from them on their operations and why they may be unable to comply with it,” Kimbleton said.
‘Safer-at-Home’ in Duval?
Curry said he asked city staff to consider if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s March 30 “Safer-at-Home” executive order for four South Florida counties could be implemented in Jacksonville.
In a news conference March 30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, DeSantis announced he is coordinating with Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe counties to draft rules of the stay-at-home order.
DeSantis’ mandate will be modeled after the rules of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s local executive order requiring people to stay home except to obtain essential services like groceries, pharmaceuticals and medical care.
According to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine COVID-19 dashboard, Miami-Dade County has 1,632 confirmed cases with three deaths as of 3 p.m. March 30.
By comparison, Duval County has 158 confirmed COVID-19 cases and three deaths.
Curry, like DeSantis, has resisted a full shelter-in-place order. DeSantis maintained March 30 that he thinks a statewide shelter-in-place order is unnecessary.
“I do not believe it would be the best decision for the health of the people of our city,” Curry said March 27. “Where we’ve seen these orders in other states and other countries, some of the behaviors are detrimental or opposite of what the stay-at-home order intends.”