Osceola County announced a coalition of community partners called “Osceola Back To Work!” that will assist in efforts to return to a new normal in conjunction with Federal and state guidelines to lessen the impact of the Coronavirus on the community and its residents on Friday.
The small business taskforce will consist of representatives from throughout the community. The Kissimmee and St. Cloud chambers and Experience Kissimmee will participate in the taskforce, which will make recommendations to the county and to the Executive Policy Group to help establish the best ways to open businesses – including those in the vital tourism sector - while still protecting patrons and employees. Meetings will begin next week.
Osceola County also is working with Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ taskforce so that the approach is coordinated across the region.
Leaders noted that in a pandemic it is not possible to flip a switch and turn everything back on at once. Osceola County’s efforts will be scalable and the input from “Osceola Back To Work!” is crucial to establish policies and work to make sure consumer confidence is restored.
In addition to the taskforce, the county released a new Coronavirus dashboard on Osceola.org developed by its Emergency Management team that reports information collected from a variety of resources, including the Florida Department of Health, local hospitals, and other state and federal agencies.
The first tab highlights Healthcare Capacity - providing a snapshot of the hospital beds available in the county and surrounding areas, indicating our readiness to respond to any surge in COVID-19.
Officials also pointed out the Osceola Business Damage tab, which reports the current results for the state’s Emergency Business Damage Assessment Survey. While the results are self-reported and not all businesses are participating, input, especially from small businesses is encouraged at FloridaDisaster.biz.
On Friday, leaders applauded the community for its efforts and sacrifices during this tough time – and noted that efforts at physical distancing and staying safer at home seemed to be making a difference in the number of cases reported. Residents are encouraged to continue these efforts.
