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3/28/24

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday extended its Local State of Emergency to June 5 and lifted rules pertaining to public beaches, shared pools and playgrounds that exceed the state requirements. Additionally, the Board extended the application deadline for the Pinellas CARES programs for individual financial assistance and small business grants to June 30.

The changes reflected in the Local State of Emergency are as follows:

Beaches – effective immediately, social distancing restrictions removed, but visitors strongly encouraged to continue practicing social distancing and safety when visiting the beaches. Posted signage will remain at the beaches to remind visitors of best practices.

Pools – effective 3 p.m. today, hotel and motel pools may return to operating at full maximum load capacity. HOA, apartment, condominium and all other pool operators may resume full capacity starting June 1. This will give them time to adjust operations and post any necessary signage at their pool locations. 

Childcare facility playgrounds – effective immediately, may resume their regular playground capacity and operations. Public playgrounds – effective June 1, may reopen with strong social distancing and safety reminders. Caregivers visiting public playgrounds with children are also strongly encouraged to practice increased hand sanitation, and consider bringing hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes with them.

Strong encouragement to wear face masks in public and practice social distancing remains: The adopted resolution also directs individuals, businesses, operations and organizations to do the maximum possible to implement and comply with CDC guidance regarding social distancing, disinfection and  other practices that help reduce risk of COVID-19 contagion. This includes wearing face masks when possible and especially when social distancing cannot be easily achieved.

The extension of the Pinellas CARES programs gives individuals and businesses another month to seek help through the program. Individuals and families can request emergency help paying overdue rent, mortgage and utilities through the Pinellas CARES Financial Assistance program. Pinellas residents who have lost their job or significant income due to COVID-19 can apply for one-time assistance  by texting COVIDCARES to 898211. Those who have questions or need to speak to someone by phone can also call 2-1-1 or visit this website

Small business owners with a commercial location in the county can also apply online for the Pinellas CARES Small Business Grant, a one-time $5,000 grant to cover expenses such as employee wages, vendor bills and mortgage or rent costs. 

Applicants should review all eligibility requirements and ensure all required documents are correctly submitted to expedite the review and approval process for the grant. 

ALLEGIANT REPORTS POSITIVE BOOKING NEWS DURING WEBINAR 

During VSPC’s Air Travel Update webinar on Wednesday, Allegiant’s Chief Marketing Officer Scott DeAngelo reported very encouraging news regarding increasing bookings. In addition, participants heard the latest updates from both Tampa International Airport and St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport. Watch the full webinar recording here.

CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM WELCOMES NEW RESCUED DOLPHIN

On Thursday, Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) announced it had been selected by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to be the forever home to a new rescued male dolphin. The new dolphin will provide a companion for CMA rescued resident Nicholas. In July 2019, the new CMA rescue was stranded in shallow waters off Fiesta Key, FL. When he was rescued, the dolphin was weak and was found to have severe pneumonia. After several weeks of treatment, the dolphin’s health improved but further testing indicated he had hearing loss. Due to his ongoing health issues and hearing loss, NMFS ultimately determined the dolphin was not a candidate for release. In the Fall, CMA will open an expanded facility with a brand-new dolphin habitat, tripling its current habitat space.

FOLLOW-UP PINELLAS COUNTY ARTS IMPACT SURVEY LAUNCHED

In an effort to understand the complete impacts of COVID-19 on the arts community, a follow-up survey for artists, arts organizations or arts-related businesses has been launched. Click here to participate in the survey.

AMERICANS BACK ON THE MOVE, ACCORDING TO ARRIVALIST

According to the latest data from Arrivalist, car travel this past Sunday was up 24% from the previous Sunday, and car travel over the last seven days was 23% higher than the previous seven days, indicating travelers may be beginning to move again. You can explore the data as it relates to the U.S. and Florida here.

BRAZIL TRAVEL BAN BEGAN THIS WEEK

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation suspending entry into the U.S. for any noncitizen who has been in Brazil within 14 days immediately preceding their arrival, which began Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.

TAMPA BAY BUSINESS & WEALTH MAGAZINE WEBINAR & OFFER

Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine (TBBW) is launching a "Summering in Florida" campaign to encourage staycations in Florida. For a limited time, its advertising packages include exposure in South Florida Business & Wealth, too. In addition, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and Visit Tampa Bay will be joining TBBW on June 18 for a discussion on the future of tourism. Stay tuned for more details.

Upcoming Webinars

Tuesday, June 2, 2020
11 a.m.

Destination Analysts Week 12 Findings

Destination Analysts Traveler Sentiment Research

Each week, Destination Analysts presents its latest findings from COVID-19 travel sentiment research it's conducting. Week 12’s webinar is free but register in advance.

Thursday, June 4, 2020
11 a.m.

VSPC webinar

Sports Tourism Rebound

Join Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and its regional sports partners to hear the latest on the sports tourism world and what the future might hold for local events.

Wednesday, June 3, 2020
3 p.m.

VSPC Webinar

Checking the Pulse of the Meetings Market

Join Visit St. Pete/Clearwater as Northstar Travel Group presents its latest meeting planner research findings before a discussion on the current state of the meetings market.

Thursday, June 4, 2020
1 p.m.

Expedia Webinar

Data-Driven Insights with Expedia

Using data-driven insights to help navigate the travel marketing landscape amidst COVID-19. Free, but register in advance.

VIEW MORE WEBINARS
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