City of Clermont Announces Closure of All City Facilities Following Governor’s Stay-At-Home Order
Closures include all city buildings, parks, beaches and restrooms, as well as the boat ramp. The city made the decision following Gov. Ron DeSantis’s executive stay-at-home order April 1, effective April 3-30, unless extended; the governor permits cities to be more stringent. City Services Continue Online and By Phone
“The City of Clermont is taking these measures out of an abundance of caution to help slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19),” City Manager Darren Gray said. “This is for the safety and well-being of our residents, staff and the community, and especially to protect those who are most vulnerable – the elderly and those with chronic illness.”
The city’s trails remain open.
“We encourage our able residents to continue staying active while practicing social distancing,” Mayor Gail Ash said. “Essential recreational activities defined by the governor’s order include fishing, boating, hiking and biking.”
All events and programs at city facilities are canceled until May 11, subject to change, as previously announced.
City services continue online or by phone, whenever possible.
- Utility bills may be paid online; if needed, checks (no cash) may be dropped in the slot on the south side of City Hall, 685 W. Montrose St.
- Permits may be submitted online. As an alternative, paper applications may be dropped off in the bin on the south side of City Hall.
- Inspections are being completed by photo and video submissions.
- Records requests and other clerk’s office requests are being processed online.
- The city’s main line at 352-394-4081 is being answered from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, as usual.
In Clermont, 23 residents have tested positive as of the latest report from the Florida Department of Health, although it is not clear how many of them are in city limits versus unincorporated with a Clermont zip code. Eighty-two people in Lake County are reported to have the disease, including 75 residents and seven non-residents; two have died and 14 have been hospitalized. Four percent of the nation’s cases are in Florida, and 25 percent of the world’s cases are in the United States. Cases exceeded one million worldwide this week.
Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Based on what is currently known about this virus, spread from person to person happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet) via respiratory droplets, according to the CDC. When people must go out for essential services and activities, social distancing should be practiced to increase the space between people and decrease the frequency of contact between them.
This is a dynamic, changing situation. COVID-19 is an emerging respiratory disease and there is more to learn about its transmission, clinical course and the populations at increased risk of disease and complications, according to the CDC. Everyone can do their part to help plan, prepare and respond to this emerging public health threat. The latest updates on COVID-19 can be found at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Updates, FAQs and resources are frequently being posted to the city’s COVID-19 webpage, www.ClermontFL.gov/coronavirus, Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/CityOfClermont, and Nextdoor page.
This article can be found online at https://www.clermontfl.gov/news/city-of-clermont-announces-closure-of-all-city-facilities-following-governors-stay-at-home-order.stml.
